FaZe Clan

From YouTube Clan to Esports Contender

FaZe Clan began as FaZe Sniping, a YouTube channel launched on May 30, 2010, by three Call of Duty players known as CLipZ, House Cat, and Resistance. Their innovative trickshotting videos in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, popularized further by the ILLCAMS series, made them a viral sensation. This personality-driven content distinguished them from other competitive channels and built a massive online following, reaching one million subscribers by 2012. The group's focus was not on tournament victories but on stylish in-game tricks and a strong social media presence, which helped it become one of the first popular YouTube video game channels.

While the content creators focused on YouTube, the FaZe brand expanded into professional esports. Separate competitive teams began representing the organization in major tournaments like the Call of Duty Championship and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Majors. The establishment of a shared team house in Plainview, New York in 2014 by members Thomas 'Temperrr' Oliveira and Richard 'Banks' Bengtson marked an early effort to blend gaming and lifestyle content, setting the stage for the organization's dual identity. Oliveira, who had been a member since he was 16, later became the original CEO.

Corporate Growth and High-Profile Investment

The organization's business side took shape in 2015 with an investment from the social platform Hubrick, run by Norwegian entrepreneur Sebastian Geurts. This deal brought in former record executive Lee Trink as an advisor. A major competitive milestone came in January 2016 when FaZe acquired G2 Esports's international Counter-Strike lineup, instantly becoming a top contender. This team achieved significant results, including a second-place finish at the ELEAGUE Major: Boston 2018, losing to Cloud9, and winning the ELeague CS:GO Premier that same year for a $500,000 prize. They also placed as runners-up in ESL Pro League Season 6 and third in ESL Pro League Season 7 and ESL One Cologne 2018.

Leadership evolved in 2018 with Greg Selkoe, founder of streetwear retailer Karmaloop, becoming president and Trink taking over as CEO. FaZe Clan then opened a Series A funding round, attracting a wide array of celebrity investors throughout 2019. Musicians like Offset, Pitbull, and Swae Lee, NBA players including Ben Simmons and Jamal Murray, footballer Gregory van der Wiel, skateboarder Nyjah Huston, and entertainment executives like Guy Oseary all backed the brand. The round closed in December 2019, led by entrepreneur Jimmy Iovine and the platform NTWRK.

Public Listing and Financial Struggles

FaZe Clan pursued an ambitious path to going public, announcing a merger in 2021 with a special purpose acquisition company, B. Riley Principal 150 Merger Corp. The deal promised a valuation of around $1 billion and $291 million in capital, with the company rebranding as FaZe Holdings Inc. to focus on being a brand for the voice of youth culture. The merger was approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and FaZe became a publicly traded company on NASDAQ on July 20, 2022, though its actual valuation was lower at $725 million. The company had only received a portion of the promised $291 million from private investors.

Financial challenges emerged quickly. By January 20, 2023, its stock price fell below one dollar for the first time, putting it at risk of being delisted from NASDAQ. The organization laid off 20% of its staff in February 2023, with CEO Lee Trink citing economic uncertainty and a need for financial discipline. FaZe Clan reported losses of approximately $14 million in the first two quarters of 2023. In April 2023, Snoop Dogg departed from the company's board. Trink was terminated as CEO in September 2023, with CFO Christoph Pachler appointed as interim CEO. That October, an agreement was announced for FaZe Holdings to be acquired by GameSquare Holdings Inc. Following the acquisition, original members Richard 'Banks' Bengtson, Thomas 'Temperrr' Oliveira, and Yousef 'Apex' Abdelfattah were appointed as CEO, president, and COO respectively.

The 2024 Split: FaZe Esports and FaZe Media

In May 2024, a major restructuring was announced by GameSquare CEO Justin Kenna. FaZe Holdings was split into two separate entities. FaZe Esports, incorporated as FaZe Clan Inc., which retained all competitive gaming assets, remained fully owned by GameSquare. A new company, FaZe Media, was formed as an independent internet media company focused on content creators, led by CEO Richard 'Banks' Bengtson. This move followed Bengtson's earlier effort to reboot the content creator roster in April 2024, reducing it to fourteen members.

FaZe Media launched with an $11 million investment from DraftKings co-founder and president Matt Kalish, who acquired a 49% stake during its foundation. Bengtson later increased his own stake by acquiring 25.5% from GameSquare in June 2024. The media arm saw initial success, winning Best Content Organization at The Streamer Awards in December 2024, where its streamer roster included members like JasonTheWeen, Adapt, and Banks. In May 2024, FaZe Clan was also named one of thirty clubs in the Esports World Cup Foundation's Club Support Program, qualifying for funding to enter new competitive titles.

Closure of FaZe Media and Creator Exodus

The FaZe Media experiment was short-lived. In late December 2025, a mass exodus of content creators began, with prominent members like Adapt, JasonTheWeen, Lacy, Silky, and StableRonaldo announcing their departures on December 25. Members including Apex, Swagg, YourRAGE, Kaysan, and Rug announced their exits in the following days, though Kaysan remained involved with FaZe Esports. Reports indicated that investor Matt Kalish, who had launched a new creator agency called HardScope, gave FaZe creators an ultimatum to join his agency or go independent, deeming the FaZe Media business model unsustainable. Some reports claimed HardScope required creators to pay 20% of their overall revenue to continue using the FaZe brand.

On December 25, 2025, FaZe Clan announced the closure of FaZe Media. This left FaZe Esports as the sole operating entity under the FaZe brand. In April 2026, several former FaZe creators, including Stable Ronaldo and Adapt, formed a new content group named CORE, citing internal disputes over contracts and ownership as their reason for leaving. This announcement coincided with FaZe Banks' first livestream after the events.

Competitive Divisions and Key Partnerships

FaZe Clan's competitive footprint has been built through both organic teams and strategic partnerships. An early regional division, FaZe France, began in 2013 as FaZe eSniping before rebranding in 2014. It lasted until May 2015, when its players and staff left, stating they were unsatisfied with FaZe's plans. A far more significant partnership was formed with Atlanta Esports Ventures, which had purchased a Call of Duty League franchise slot for an estimated $25 million in 2019. This collaboration created Atlanta FaZe, which was officially renamed and relocated to Las Vegas as FaZe Vegas in September 2025.

The organization has also cultivated long-standing commercial partnerships. Its collaboration with the energy drink mix brand G Fuel, begun in 2012, is one of the longest in esports as of 2025 and has included FaZe-themed flavors like Battle Juice. Other notable partners have included sportswear brand Champion, which manufactures most of FaZe's clothing, automobile manufacturer Nissan, which produced original series for FaZe's YouTube channel, and football club Manchester City for content and apparel. The organization has also collaborated with brands like Lyrical Lemonade, New Era, and Warren Lotas on limited merchandise releases.

Controversies and Internal Challenges

FaZe Clan's history includes several internal controversies. In 2021, member Frazier Khattri, known as FaZe Kay, was a lead promoter of the Save the Kids cryptocurrency token, later revealed to be a pump and dump scheme. FaZe Clan removed Kay and suspended members Jarvis, Teeqo, and Nikan for their involvement. Teeqo was later reinstated after being found unaware of the scheme. This incident highlighted the risks of blending influencer marketing with speculative financial products.

Further controversy touched leadership in 2025. In July of that year, CEO Richard 'Banks' Bengtson stepped down from his role at FaZe Media following accusations of scamming fans through the promotion of a meme coin called MLG. These episodes, alongside the financial pressures of being a public company and the ultimate collapse of the media division, marked periods of significant turbulence for the organization as it attempted to balance its esports, content, and business ambitions.