FaZe Clan, also known as FaZe, is a professional esports and former entertainment brand. It was founded on May 30, 2010, under the name FaZe Sniping. The organization includes professional players and content creators from around the world who compete in various video games.
In October 2023, it was announced that FaZe Clan’s main company, FaZe Holdings, would be acquired by GameSquare in a deal involving only stock. In May 2024, GameSquare created a new company called FaZe Media. This move separated FaZe Holdings into two distinct businesses: one focused on esports (FaZe Esports) and another focused on internet media (FaZe Media).
In December 2025, many members left FaZe Media, leading to the closure of the entertainment division of FaZe.
History
FaZe Sniping began their YouTube channel on May 30, 2010. The group started as a Call of Duty clan created by three players: Eric "CLipZ" Rivera, Jeff "House Cat" Emann (now known as "Timid"), and Ben "Resistance" Christensen. These players became well-known for creating new ways to play trickshots in the game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Their YouTube videos became popular when Ted "Fakie" joined the clan. At this time, FaZe created their most famous YouTube series, ILLCAMS. FaZe Clan focused on trickshotting and used a style of content that highlighted their personalities, which helped them become one of the first widely known YouTube channels for video game content. Unlike other Call of Duty channels that focused on winning tournaments, FaZe’s approach was different. In 2012, their channel reached one million subscribers, and the clan began to compete in esports events. Teams under the FaZe name started participating in competitions like the Call of Duty Championship and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major Championships. Thomas "Temperrr" Oliveira, the original CEO, had been part of FaZe since he was 16 years old. He and Richard “Banks” Bengtson, the COO, opened the first FaZe shared home in 2014 in Plainview, New York. This home was meant to help create lifestyle content along with gaming content.
In 2015, Hubrick, a social media platform owned by Norwegian entrepreneur Sebastian Geurts, invested in FaZe Clan. Hubrick brought in Lee Trink, a former record executive, as an advisor. In January 2016, FaZe Clan acquired the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive international team from G2 Esports. This team played as FaZe Clan in the 2016 MLG Major Championship: Columbus. The team placed second in ELEAGUE Major: Boston 2018, losing to Cloud9. In 2017, Bengtson moved to Los Angeles and started a new shared home with YouTubers called the Clout House. FaZe Clan finished second in ESL Pro League Season 6, second in ESL Pro League Season 7, and second in ESL One Cologne 2018. They also won the ELeague CS:GO Premier in 2018, earning $500,000 in prize money. In 2018, Greg Selkoe, founder of Karmaloop, became president of FaZe Clan, and Trink became CEO. Later, FaZe Clan started their Series A funding round. In 2019, many celebrities, including musicians, athletes, and business leaders, invested in FaZe Clan. In December 2019, FaZe closed their Series A funding round, led by entrepreneur Jimmy Iovine and mobile e-commerce company NTWRK.
In January 2020, FaZe Clan received a $22.7 million investment loan from a private lender. The transaction was advised by Canaccord Genuity, a Canadian financial company. On June 18, 2020, FaZe Clan announced they would co-own CTRL, a food supplement company. In December 2020, FaZe Clan was valued at $305 million, with monthly revenue estimated at $40 million. In 2020, Faze Studios released the film Crimson, with Brian "Rug" Awadis in a leading role. On June 10, 2021, FaZe Clan became the first esports team to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. That same year, FaZe Clan announced a merger with B. Riley Principal to become a public company listed on NASDAQ, with an expected value of around $1 billion. As part of the merger, FaZe would receive $291 million from B. Riley, be renamed Faze Holdings Inc., and focus on becoming a brand for "the voice of youth culture." The merger was approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and the company went public on July 20, 2022, but with a valuation of $725 million, lower than expected. In 2021, FaZe Clan member Frazier Khattrri (FaZe Kay) promoted a cryptocurrency called Save the Kids, which was later revealed to be a pump and dump scheme. FaZe removed Kay and suspended other members involved. Later, one member was reinstated. In July 2022, FaZe Clan became a publicly traded company. However, the company received less than the $291 million promised by investors. On January 20, 2023, the company’s stock price fell below one dollar, putting them at risk of being delisted. By February 15, 2023, the stock price was $0.76.
In March 2023, the company received a notice that it could be delisted if it did not raise its stock price above one dollar within 180 days. CEO Trink said the company was working to solve the problem. As of September 2022, the company had enough money to last until November 2023. In February 2023, FaZe Clan laid off 20% of its staff, citing economic uncertainty. Trink said the company would focus on financial discipline and reported a 25% increase in revenue from 2021 to 2022. FaZe Clan reported losses of about $14 million in the first two quarters of 2023, with slightly lower revenues. In April 2023, Snoop Dogg left FaZe Clan’s board. On September 11, 2023, Trink was removed as CEO. The company appointed Christoph Pachler, the CEO and CFO of FaZe Clan, as interim CEO. In October 2023, FaZe Clan was acquired by GameSquare Holdings Inc. and added to their esports portfolio. Bengtson, Oliveira, and Yousef Abdelfattah (FaZe Apex) were named CEO, president, and COO, respectively.
On April 27,
Divisions
FaZe Clan has started different teams for specific games and regions throughout its history. These teams were often created through partnerships or by changing the organization’s name to grow its influence in competitive gaming and culture. Some teams focused on certain areas, like FaZe France in Europe, while others became official teams in leagues run by game publishers, such as Atlanta FaZe in the Call of Duty League.
On September 19, 2013, FaZe eSniping, a competitive Call of Duty sniping team, was announced. The team included players Raphael "Zydar" Zydar, Elliot "Hyspe," and Kevin "RanbOw," and was led by Anil "WaRTeK" Brancaleoni. On April 3, 2014, FaZe Clan changed the name of FaZe eSniping to FaZe France. RanbOw left the team after one and a half years, and Anthony "Toto" joined in his place. On May 26, 2015, the players and staff of FaZe France said they were not happy with FaZe Clan’s plans and left to start their own group.
On May 2, 2019, Activision Blizzard announced that Atlanta Esports Ventures had bought one of the first five team spots in the Call of Duty League. According to ESPN, each team spot was expected to cost about $25 million. In a statement, Hamilton said, “We have the chance to help Atlanta’s esports community by bringing Call of Duty esports to the city.” In October 2019, Atlanta Esports Ventures and FaZe Clan announced a joint team called Atlanta FaZe.
Atlanta FaZe was officially renamed and moved to Las Vegas as FaZe Vegas on September 19, 2025.
James "Crowder" Crowder
Richard "RJ" Simoncelli
Roster updated December 29, 2025.
Partnerships and collaborations
FaZe Clan has worked with Gamma Labs' G Fuel, a brand that makes caffeinated drink mixes, since 2012. This partnership is one of the longest marketing collaborations in esports as of December 2025. As part of this partnership, the company created FaZe-themed flavors, such as "FaZe Clan's Battle Juice," in 2019.
On May 2, 2019, Atlanta Esports Ventures announced it would buy a team spot in the Call of Duty league with FaZe Clan. The new team, Atlanta FaZe, was introduced on October 26, 2019.
On November 22, 2018, FaZe Clan partnered with Champion, a sportswear company, to release exclusive clothing. In 2019, Champion released FaZe-themed clothing four times. Champion makes most of the clothing that FaZe releases. On March 14, 2019, FaZe Clan worked with Siberia Hills, a clothing brand, to create a limited-edition hoodie.
On March 21, 2019, FaZe Clan announced a partnership with Nissan, an automobile manufacturer. Nissan began creating two original videos for FaZe's YouTube channel.
On September 26, 2019, Manchester City, a football club, announced a partnership with FaZe Clan to create content and clothing.
On July 20, 2019, FaZe Clan set up a booth at ComplexCon 2019. At the event, they sold exclusive clothing made with Champion, the music label Lyrical Lemonade, and the clothing brand 24karats. FaZe Clan worked with 24karats again on August 16, 2019, to release clothing accessories, and with Lyrical Lemonade on November 27, 2019, to create clothing.
On September 17, 2019, FaZe Clan partnered with New Era, a headwear company. From November 3 to November 22, 2019, FaZe Clan collaborated with designer Warren Lotas, sportswear brand Kappa, and clothing brand CLOT to release exclusive clothing.
In August 2021, FaZe Clan announced a sponsorship with McDonald's. The companies will work together on a series of content and other projects featuring major FaZe Clan stars.
In September 2021, FaZe Clan and DC Comics created a limited-edition comic book. The comic was written by Josh Trujillo and illustrated by Scot Eaton. It features Batman and several members of the FaZe Clan.
In January 2023, FaZe Clan announced a shoe collaboration with Nike. The shoes are a version of the Nike LeBron Nxxt Gen with FaZe Clan's logos and colors. The shoe was first shown during a game played by Sierra Canyon.
Philanthropy
On March 15, 2020, FaZe Clan launched Fight 2 Fund, a four-week charity event in the video game Call of Duty: Warzone. During this event, social media influencers, YouTubers, streamers, celebrities, athletes, and musicians participated. People who watched the event could donate money, and these donations were used to help charities that supported individuals affected by the coronavirus disease 2019, also known as COVID-19. The event raised more than $124,000.