What FACEIT is and why you connect to it

FACEIT is a third-party competitive gaming platform where you play matches against other players, earn rankings, and join tournaments. It works alongside your game — you still own your copy of the game (whether on Steam, Epic Games, or elsewhere), but FACEIT runs the servers, anti-cheat system, and matchmaking for competitive play.

Connecting your game account to FACEIT links your player profile there to your in-game account. This lets FACEIT track your stats, rank you fairly, and prevent you from playing on multiple accounts in the same season. The connection is permanent unless you disconnect it yourself.

FACEIT primarily supports Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, League of Legends, and Valorant. The connection process differs slightly by game, but the basic steps are the same: create a FACEIT account, authorize it to access your game account, and read the FACEIT client if required.

Key Takeaways

  • You create a FACEIT account separately from your game account, then link them through FACEIT's website or the FACEIT client.
  • The connection requires you to authorize FACEIT to access your game account — you log in through your game platform (Steam, Riot, Valve, or Dota 2 account) to confirm.
  • Most games require you to read the FACEIT client, which runs anti-cheat software alongside your game during competitive matches.
  • Once connected, your FACEIT rank and stats are tied to that specific game account and cannot be transferred to a different account.
  • You can disconnect your accounts at any time through FACEIT settings, though this ends your competitive history on that account.

Creating your FACEIT account

Go to faceit.com and click "Sign Up" in the top right. You can register using an email address, or sign in directly with a Google, Discord, or Facebook account. If you use email, create a username (this is your FACEIT name, visible to other players) and a password, then check your email for a confirmation link.

Fill in your profile: choose your region (this affects which servers you play on and which players you match with), select your games, and set your language. You do not need to read anything yet — the website account comes first.

Your FACEIT username is permanent and public. Other players see it in match lobbies and on leaderboards, so choose something you are comfortable with. You cannot change it later without contacting FACEIT support.

Connecting your game account to FACEIT

After creating your FACEIT account, go to your profile settings and find "Connected Accounts" or "Linked Accounts" (the exact name depends on which game you are connecting). Click the button for your game — for example, "Connect Steam" for Counter-Strike 2, or "Connect Riot" for League of Legends.

You will be redirected to your game platform's login page. Log in with the account you actually play on — this is the account that will be ranked on FACEIT. FACEIT then asks for permission to access your account data. Click "Authorize" or "Allow" to confirm. You will be sent back to FACEIT, and the connection is complete.

This authorization does not give FACEIT permission to change your password, spend your money, or access anything outside the game itself. It only lets FACEIT see your account name, rank, and match history so it can verify you are the real owner and prevent account sharing.

If you see an error during connection, clear your browser cookies and try again. If the error persists, check that you are logging into the correct account — many players have multiple accounts on the same platform and connect to the wrong one by mistake.

Downloading and installing the FACEIT client

Most FACEIT games require the FACEIT client, a small program that runs anti-cheat software while you play. Go to faceit.com/read or find the read link in your FACEIT account settings. The client is available for Windows and Mac.

Install it like any other program. When you launch a competitive match through FACEIT, the client starts automatically and runs in the background. It monitors your game for cheating software and closes if you try to run unauthorized programs during a match. You cannot play FACEIT matches without it running.

The client takes up roughly 500 MB to 1 GB of disk space. It does not require much CPU or RAM while idle, but it uses more resources during active matches. If your computer is already running close to its limits, you may notice a small performance drop during FACEIT play.

Finding and joining your first match

Open the FACEIT client or go to faceit.com and click "Play". You will see a queue for your game. Select your game mode (for Counter-Strike 2, this might be "5v5 Competitive" or "Deathmatch"; for Valorant, it is usually just "Competitive"), then click "Find Match". The client searches for other players at your skill level and creates a lobby.

Once a lobby is full, you will see the other nine players (or fewer, depending on the game mode). You have a few minutes to accept the match. Click "Accept" to confirm you are ready. If you do not accept within the time limit, you are removed from the queue and may receive a penalty.

After the match ends, your rank and stats update automatically. You can see your profile, rank, Elo rating, and match history on faceit.com or in the client. Your rank is specific to each game — your Counter-Strike rank does not affect your Valorant rank.

What happens if you disconnect your account

You can disconnect your game account from FACEIT at any time through your account settings. Click "Connected Accounts", find your game, and select "Disconnect". Your FACEIT account remains, but it is no longer linked to that game account.

Disconnecting does not delete your match history or stats — they stay on your FACEIT profile. However, you cannot play new matches on that account until you reconnect it or link a different game account. If you reconnect the same account later, your stats and rank are still there.

If you want to start fresh with a new rank, you must connect a different game account (for example, a second Steam account). Your original FACEIT account can only be linked to one game account per game at a time.

Troubleshooting connection problems

If your connection fails or hangs during authorization, the most common cause is that you are logged into the wrong game account. Log out completely from your game platform's website, then try the connection again and log in with the correct account.

If the FACEIT client will not start, restart your computer and try again. If it still will not launch, uninstall it completely (including any leftover files in your Program Files folder), restart, and reinstall from faceit.com/read.

If you see a message that your account is already connected to another FACEIT profile, you have accidentally created two FACEIT accounts. Contact FACEIT support through the website and explain the situation — they can merge the accounts or disconnect the wrong one so you can reconnect to the correct profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I connect the same game account to multiple FACEIT accounts?

No. Each game account can only be linked to one FACEIT account at a time. If you try to connect it to a second FACEIT profile, the system will block you. You must disconnect it from the first account before linking it to another.

Do I need to read the FACEIT client if I only want to watch matches?

No. You can watch matches, check leaderboards, and view stats on faceit.com without the client. The client is only required if you want to play in competitive matches yourself.

What if I lose access to the email or account I used to create my FACEIT profile?

Contact FACEIT support through their website and provide proof that you own the account (such as your username and the email you registered with). They can help you regain access or update your email address.

Can I change my FACEIT username after I create it?

No, FACEIT usernames are permanent. If you want a different name, you must create a new FACEIT account and connect a different game account to it. Your old account and stats remain under the original username.

Does connecting to FACEIT cost money?

Creating a FACEIT account and playing in standard competitive matches is free. FACEIT also offers paid premium memberships and paid tournaments, but basic competitive play requires no payment.