FaZe Clan, once the crown jewel of the esports and creator economy, is at the center of a seismic shake-up after a mass exodus of its most recognizable influencers. The departures, announced on Christmas Day 2025, have sent shockwaves through the gaming community and left fans, sponsors, and industry analysts speculating about the future of one of esports’ most iconic brands.
The influencers—Alexander Prynkiewicz (better known as FaZe Adapt), Jason Nguyen, StableRonaldo, Lacy, Rage, and Silky—collectively made their exit public through synchronized posts on X, each simply stating they had “Left @FaZeClan.” For Adapt, who had spent 14 years with the organization, the decision was deeply personal. “Over half of my life, I’d be lying if I said this didn’t hurt, but it had to be done,” he wrote, encapsulating the bittersweet sentiment shared by many longtime fans.
The timing of these exits is no coincidence. Negotiations between the creators and FaZe Clan’s new management, led by investor Matt Kalish and his company HardScope, had dragged on for about six months without resolution. According to Bloomberg, the talks broke down over contract terms that the creators considered unfavorable. Kalish, who has reportedly invested about $10 million into FaZe’s talent group over the past 18 months, acknowledged the difficulty of the situation. “My best guess is they’re all good kids and have a lot of people in their ear and are confused,” he told Bloomberg. He added, “FaZe’s financial structure was unsustainable,” and that the influencers were given the option to operate independently or sign new agreements with HardScope.
For the creators, the issue wasn’t just about money—it was about autonomy. Former FaZe member PlaqueBoyMax, who left earlier this year, described the environment as stifling: “We have no control. There was no control, and it’s like we’re puppets. At least that’s what it felt like.” This sentiment was echoed by others who felt their roles had shifted from empowered partners to mere figureheads as the organization’s business model evolved.
Streamer Adin Ross, speaking on a livestream, shed more light on the contract standoff. He claimed that the dispute centered on a late demand for 20% ownership shares by GameSquare, FaZe Clan’s parent company, which the creators had not initially agreed to. “They never signed that 20% initially. They [GameSquare] come after them a year and a half later and then ask for the 20%…. That’s in the wrong. ‘Cause if your intention was to sign these guys for 20% of FaZe, they probably would’ve all done it,” Ross explained. “But now, you wait until they’re big, have millions of followers, so why would they sign the contract? You can’t put a deal in their fking faces at this point.”
As speculation swirled about who was responsible for the turmoil, Richard Bengtsone—better known as FaZe Banks and one of the group’s original founders—stepped forward to clear his name. Bengtsone, who had returned to FaZe in June 2024 by buying back 25% of the company, sold his stake in March 2025 and stepped down as CEO by July. “I had nothing to do with the situation,” he wrote on X, adding that he would be willing to help if asked but had otherwise moved on.
Behind the scenes, FaZe Clan’s corporate story has been just as tumultuous as its public one. Founded in 2010 as a group of friends sharing Call of Duty trick-shot videos on YouTube, FaZe Clan quickly grew into a global brand, expanding into competitive esports, lifestyle content, and high-profile sponsorships with the NFL, Nissan, and Champion. The organization hit mainstream recognition in 2021 when it became the first esports group to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
But the rapid ascent was followed by a series of controversies and financial setbacks. In 2021, FaZe faced a cryptocurrency scam scandal that led to the firing and suspension of several members. By 2023, the company had laid off about 20% of its workforce and replaced its CEO amid growing concerns about its sponsorship-driven business model. FaZe Clan went public in 2022 with hopes of a $1 billion valuation, but its stock quickly plummeted, eventually leading to its acquisition by GameSquare Holdings for $17 million later that year.
GameSquare’s acquisition was supposed to usher in a new era of stability, with the promise of leveraging combined resources—GameSquare also owns Complexity—to normalize monetization and rejuvenate FaZe’s brand. Instead, the company has found itself grappling with the same questions of governance, strategy, and identity that have plagued the esports industry at large. As sponsorship budgets have tightened and media rights deals have underperformed, organizations like FaZe Clan have been forced to cut costs, exit leagues, and shift their focus toward lifestyle content and diversified creator businesses.
The departures of FaZe’s top creators have left the organization facing a critical crossroads. With its core roster gone, FaZe must now rebuild both its lineup and its content strategy to keep sponsors engaged and fans invested. Industry analysts suggest that management may turn to rising streamers with untapped potential or double down on competitive teams, where costs and deliverables are easier to project. There’s also the looming threat of a reputational hit if the departing influencers band together to form a new collective, potentially fragmenting FaZe’s already fragile commercial base.
Yet, the crisis at FaZe Clan is more than just a corporate drama—it’s a stress test for the entire creator economy. As analysts at Ampere Analysis and Deloitte have noted, bargaining power in digital media is shifting toward individual talent, who now command direct ownership of their audiences. The FaZe standoff highlights the need for organizations to strike a balance between preserving margins and offering creators substantive control and revenue participation. For the creators, the lesson is clear: lock in upside tied to IP and revenue, not just paychecks.
With GameSquare now the sole owner of FaZe Clan and Matt Kalish determined to press on, the organization faces an uphill battle to redefine itself in a rapidly changing esports landscape. The next few months will be crucial as FaZe works to restore sponsor confidence, clarify ownership of IP and social channels, and—most importantly—reconnect with the fans who made the brand a phenomenon in the first place.
For now, FaZe Clan stands at a pivotal moment, its future uncertain but its story far from over. The gaming world will be watching closely to see whether the brand can reinvent itself once again, or if this exodus marks the end of an era in esports history.
