In the online shooter Fortnite, there has been a controversy surrounding Twitch streamer Tfue and his e-sports organization FaZe for a few days now. FaZe has now explained why they don’t want to let Tfue go and why the Twitch star actually wants to leave.
Here comes the statement: The FaZe clan uploaded a 7:15 minute long video on Twitter yesterday, where they share their perspective. FaZe CBass and Lee Trink, the CEO of FaZe Clan, speak in the video.
Their view on the lawsuit by Tfue differs significantly from how the streamer Turner “Tfue” Tenney presents his situation.
This is how FaZe sees Tfue: They are well aware of the influence Tfue has had on FaZe as a brand, explains FaZe CBass.
They are incredibly proud of what Tfue achieved last year. The products developed around the Fortnite star are among the best works FaZe has ever delivered as a company.
They have worked for 8 years to collaborate with a talent as gifted as Tfue.
FaZe can’t let Tfue go because of the fans
This is why Tfue can’t leave: For FaZe, their own fans come first. It’s about protecting the relationship with the fans. Because over the past year, fans have built a relationship with Tfue.
It is said: Fans have invested their time, enthusiasm, concern, and love into the relationship that FaZe has built with Tfue.
Thus, they cannot simply let Tfue go just because he wants to. That would cast a completely wrong light on gaming and on relationships in general.
Tfue allegedly wants to start his own e-sports organization
Why does Tfue want to leave? According to FaZe, Tfue is only interested in leaving the organization because he wants to start his own e-sports organization. FaZe is apparently referring to statements made by Tfue’s brother.
FaZe cannot allow that. It would be like the Lakers allowing NBA star LeBron James to open his own basketball team in the city.
Therefore, all attempts to negotiate with Tfue have failed.
Anyone from FaZe who demands that Tfue be allowed to do that or let him go is simply not reasonable.
This is how FaZe wanted to mend the situation: FaZe states that they have been trying from the very beginning to replace the “old contract” with Tfue with a better one. This would have eliminated all negative clauses immediately.
The old contract was negotiated under different management.
It is said that when the current management was in place, FaZe made it clear to Tfue early on: “We don’t like the contract Tfue signed either.”
They have never enforced any of these clauses to make it clear from the beginning how much they value Tfue. They have only earned $60,000 with him, which were two sponsor deals that FaZe secured for Tfue, from which they took 20%.
FaZe then explains in detail that they wanted to fulfill all of Tfue’s wishes in a new contract but hit a wall. The negotiations did not go well – there were sometimes no responses at all.
This is what’s behind it: The interesting thing here is that Tfue really seems to have signed a terrible contract, and FaZe knew that.
When FaZe realized what a big star Tfue was becoming through Fortnite and Twitch, they apparently wanted to fix this mistake and try to find a better basis with Tfue, but by then it seemed to have been too late.
The clan now claims to be doing everything right – but the question remains: How could they offer Tfue such terrible conditions if they wanted to work with him long-term? And why would they include such clauses in a contract if they did not intend to enforce them?
The FaZe side is plausible. It is credible,
- that with the new management, they absolutely wanted to maintain the relationship with Tfue.
- that FaZe is not looking to squeeze money from Tfue, but he is much more valuable as a brand ambassador, whom they bought in very cheaply
However, questions remain:
- What was FaZe thinking when allowing him to sign the first contract?
- How do they intend to keep Tfue in the organization against his will until the end of 2021 if he wants out so clearly?
- Is it even possible to find a common ground for a trustworthy collaboration now?
For anyone wondering under what circumstances he could have signed the contract, we have an answer:
