FaZe Rug Leaves FaZe Clan After 13 Years: The Final Nail in the Coffin

Done. Finished. Over.

FaZe Rug just walked away from FaZe Clan after 13 years, and with that, one of gaming's most iconic brands has officially lost everyone who mattered. The 28-year-old YouTuber announced his departure earlier today, posting what reads like a funeral notice for the organisation he helped build into a cultural phenomenon.

That's not just another departure. That's the last pillar crumbling.

The Only One Who Stayed... Until Now

Three days ago, FaZe Rug was one of the few original members still standing. When the Christmas Day exodus happened and creators like StableRonaldo, JasonTheWeen, Lacy, Silky, and Adapt all announced their exits within hours of each other, Rug posted a heartbroken emoji. Nothing else. Just 💔.

People wondered if he'd stick around. He was, after all, a co-owner with 28 million YouTube subscribers. He'd been there since 2013. Surely the guy who built his entire brand around FaZe wouldn't abandon ship.

Wrong.

Turns out even loyalty has limits when the whole thing's sinking.

A Christmas Massacre Followed by the Knockout Punch

Let's rewind. On 25th December, FaZe Clan experienced what the industry called a "coordinated mass exodus." Multiple core creators walked away simultaneously. Then YourRAGE, Kaysan, Apex, and Swagg followed in the subsequent days. Each departure felt like another brick pulled from an already shaky foundation.

The creators who left represented roughly 60% of FaZe's live-streaming viewership. JasonTheWeen alone regularly commanded tens of thousands of concurrent viewers. Losing that much talent in 72 hours should've been impossible for any organisation to survive.

But FaZe Rug stayed. He watched his teammates leave, posted that heartbroken emoji, and seemingly tried to weather the storm.

Until today.

What FaZe Rug Meant to FaZe Clan

Brian Rafat Awadis joined FaZe Clan in January 2013 when he was barely known outside Call of Duty trickshot circles. Over the next 13 years, he transformed himself into one of YouTube's biggest personalities through vlogs, pranks, challenges, and gaming content. His 28 million subscribers made him one of FaZe's most valuable assets.

He wasn't just a member. He was a co-owner. He had equity. He had history. He was there when FaZe was still uploading Modern Warfare 2 quickscope montages, and he stayed through the organisation's evolution into a publicly-traded lifestyle brand worth hundreds of millions.

The fact that even he's walking away tells you everything about the state of FaZe Clan right now.

Behind the Scenes: Why Everyone Left

Former member PlaqueBoyMax pulled back the curtain during a Twitch stream after the Christmas departures. He claimed FaZe creators had zero control over their content and careers. Management could apparently kick people out for missing video shoots. The organisation operated like a corporation, not a creator collective.

Streamer Adin Ross suggested that GameSquare, FaZe's parent company, demanded 20% of creators' earnings well after they'd already built massive audiences. Imagine grinding for years, building your brand, then having corporate ownership swoop in asking for a fifth of your income. That's the allegation.

The LA content house got listed for rent on 23rd December. Members stopped streaming during "FaZemas," the annual holiday event that usually brings consistent content. All the warning signs were flashing red.

Banks vs Everyone

Richard "FaZe Banks" Bengtson stepped down as CEO in July 2025 following an MLG cryptocurrency controversy. When the Christmas exodus started, he initially denied involvement: "I have nothing to do with what's going at FaZe Clan right now. I left 4 months ago."

Hours later, he released an emotional 12-minute video absolutely destroying the departed creators. He called them "incredibly ungrateful" with "insane egos," claiming they had free housing, free film crews, access to all FaZe channels, and shared zero income with the organisation.

"Their money and platforms all sky-rocketed after meeting me, but I'm the bad guy?" Banks fumed.

PlaqueBoyMax hit back, stating he'd worked with bigger brands since leaving and had massive plans for 2026. The public feud got ugly fast, with both sides airing grievances that should've stayed private.

Who's Even Left?

After FaZe Rug's departure today, the content creation side of FaZe Clan is essentially dead. The remaining members are ZooMaa, Jev, Scope, and Replays - mostly older members whose content output has slowed significantly compared to the departed streaming juggernauts.

FaZe still has competitive esports teams, particularly in Counter-Strike 2 with players like karrigan. But the bridge between esports success and casual fans has always been content creators. Those creators just walked out the door, and the last one standing just announced he's done too.

What Happens Next?

100 Thieves streamer Valkyrae mentioned on stream that several former FaZe members plan to create their own group with proper ownership and creative control. Former members announced a joint livestream for 27th December at 2 PM PST, hinting at coordinated plans.

The creator economy has evolved. Individual personalities now hold more power than the organisations that sign them. By pooling their audiences, the departed FaZe members could launch a competitor overnight without corporate overhead or shareholder expectations demanding 20% cuts.

FaZe Rug hasn't hinted at joining any new organisation yet. His announcement focused on gratitude for the journey and excitement for whatever comes next. With 28 million YouTube subscribers, he doesn't need anyone's logo to succeed.

The End of an Era

FaZe Clan started in 2010 as three friends making Call of Duty trickshot videos. Over 15 years, it became a cultural force - a publicly-traded company, a lifestyle brand, a symbol of what gaming could achieve in mainstream culture.

Now? It's a cautionary tale about what happens when corporate ownership clashes with creator freedom. When management demands control over people who built their audiences independently. When the logo matters more than the people wearing it.

FaZe Rug's departure isn't just another name on the exit list. It's the final confirmation that FaZe Clan, as we knew it, is finished. The esports teams might continue. The brand might survive in some form. But the FaZe that dominated YouTube, Twitch, and creator culture for over a decade?

That died on Christmas Day 2025.

FaZe Rug just closed the coffin.