Esports

FaZe Clan CEO Richard Banks Removes Half of Its Roster in an Attempt To 'Reboot'; Here Is All You Need To Know

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FaZe Clan Removes Half of Its Roster in an Attempt To 'Reboot' - Esports
Moulik Mathur
by Moulik Mathur 
 Updated May 2, 2024, 12:05 p.m.
 Posted April 30, 2024, 12:05 p.m.

FaZe Clan, the international esports organisation, has just removed a major portion of its roster, and its announcement has been rather controversial. Co-founder Richard “Banks” Bengston, who is in full control of the organisation since late last year, made the decision on April 27, 2024, to remove 17 members from the team.

The FaZe Clan account, inactive since March 4, released a short video on April 27 (as spotted by Kotaku), stating that the FaZe Clan roster has been largely removed as part of a 'reboot' process. Banks took over the reigns at FaZe Clan after the company was acquired by GameSquare Holdings, a brand marketing company.

Banks took to X to state that only 14 players out of roughly 30 people still remain at the company after this massive restructuring. He listed out the names in the post, and then concluded by saying, “Everyone else is out. That is the roster.”

Veteran Call of Duty players Agony and Bloo, who have been part of the team for a decade, are part of the 17 FaZe Clan members that have been kicked out. Moreover, Kalei, the only woman member in FaZe Clan, has also been removed. Interestingly, the controversial streamer Nickmercs is still part of the team, despite his anti-LGBTQ+ tweet.

Twitch streamer Logan posted a clip on X, stating his disappointment over the decision, and also accused Banks for “killing the base of the fucking company.” Banks responded to Logan’s video, where he stated that the reboot was planned “a long time” ago and added that he “can’t apologize for doing what feels right.”

Logan did respond to Banks’ video with a slightly less aggressive tone, stating out how long he’s been a fan of FaZe Clan, and tried putting his opinion out there again. Banks responded to it with a long post on X, thanking Logan for being around, and spelling out how he needs Logan and all FaZe Clan fans to trust the process. So, there is no beef between the two parties atleast.

However, the former FaZe Clan members and how they’ve been made to leave with the announcement post is still a bit controversial and Banks agreed that some members “deserved a better exit.”

FaZe Clan was founded back in 2010, and is regarded as one of the first major esports organizations and it is also one of the first popular YouTube video game channels. The organisation has struggled financially in recent years, having lost nearly $55 million in 2022. The company was also warned that it would be delisted as a public company if the value of their stocks remain below $1. Around January 2023, rapper Snoop Dogg exited as a shareholder of the company due to FaZe Clan’s financial struggles.

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