FaZe Clan Loses Apex, Rug and Swagg — Fans Fear the End Is Near

FaZe Clan's long-running dominance in online gaming and creator culture is facing one of its most worrying chapters yet, as more high-profile departures sends shockwaves through the esports industry.

Co-founder of the brand, Apex, along with Rug and Swagg, are among several prominent creators who have confirmed their exits, prompting fans to question whether the brand's golden era is coming to an end.

Social media has been flooded with emotional farewell messages since Christmas, with many former members reflecting on more than a decade spent building FaZe into a global name.

A Wave of Exits Shakes the FaZe Brand

The departures come amid internal restructuring and stalled contract negotiations, signalling deeper challenges for the once-celebrated esports and entertainment giant.

On X, FaZe Clan has described the situation as 'heartbreaking' and 'beyond tragic', while reassuring supporters that its esports operations will continue. Yet the sheer scale of exits has left fans uneasy, with many wondering if the organisation can recover from losing so many of its founding and most recognisable faces.

Among those leaving FaZe Clan are co-founder Yousef Abdelfattah, better known as Apex, Brian Rafat Awadis (Rug), Alexander Prynkiewicz, and Kris Lamberson. Other creators such as Jason Nguyen, Nick Fosco, Jerry Woo and Stable Ronaldo have also confirmed their departures before this.

FaZe Clan acknowledged the exits in an emotional statement, saying, 'It's heartbreaking to see this era of FaZe come to a close.

It's beyond tragic the way it all ended; these past few days have been extremely emotional.' The organisation added that it would continue to support the departing creators and signed off with 'FaZe Forever 2010 to infinity'.

The company also clarified that FaZe eSports, its competitive gaming wing, will remain unaffected and will now become its primary focus moving forward.

Financial Strain and Structural Uncertainty

Founded in 2010 as a Call of Duty sniping group on YouTube, FaZe Clan grew into one of gaming's most recognisable lifestyle brands. However, its financial journey has been far less stable.

After going public in 2022 with expectations of a $1 billion (£0.79 billion) valuation, the company later fell to penny stock status.

In 2023, former CEO Lee Trink was fired amid allegations of poor spending decisions and disputes with talent. FaZe's esports operations are now owned by GameSquare Holdings Inc., which acquired FaZe's parent company for $17 million (£13.43 million).

Investor Matt Kalish, who reportedly invested $10 million (£7.90 million) into FaZe over 18 months, recently described the organisation's financial structure as 'unsustainable'. He claimed creators were offered new contracts or the option to go independent, but negotiations reportedly collapsed after six months.

Creators Speak Out as Fans Fear the End

Several influencers have publicly criticised FaZe's internal culture. Streamer and former FaZe member PlaqueBoyMax said on a livestream that creators had 'no control' and felt like 'puppets'. These comments were later challenged by former CEO Richard 'Banks' Bengston, who insisted creators were well-supported, citing free housing, staff and zero per cent income sharing.

Banks also pushed back strongly against allegations of mistreatment, accusing some creators of having 'insane egos' and misrepresenting the reality behind the scenes.

Meanwhile, the departing creators struck a more reflective tone. FaZe Apex wrote that after nearly 15 years with the organisation, it was 'finally time to close this chapter', while FaZe Rug admitted his exit 'hurts' after 13 years. FaZe Adapt echoed the sentiment, calling the decision painful but necessary.

For fans, the loss of so many original members feels symbolic. While FaZe Clan insists the brand will move on, the departure of its founding figures has left many wondering whether the organisation can ever truly recapture what once made it special.