Tfue Sues FaZe Clan Over Contract, Possibly Leaving

Turner "Tfue" Turner has become one of the most popular professional Fortnite Battle Royale players and Twitch personalities while being a member of the FaZe Clan organization. However, it looks as though a situation of Tfue leaving FaZe Clan could be in play in the near future, as the star Fortnite player has filed a lawsuit against the high-profile esports organization regarding his contract that has been deemed "oppressive" in regards to the percentage of income FaZe Clan takes from Tfue. This situation has sparked a major question in the video game world. Did Tfue leave FaZe Clan? 

Tfue Leaving FaZe Clan?

While the well-known Twitch personality has not yet addressed his possible leaving of the organization publicly and the lawsuit that the talented battle royale player has filed against his organization does not state any intention of his to leave, it is likely if this contractual dispute does not get resolved that the content creator will go his separate ways from the esports powerhouse. 

Tfue Sues FaZe Clan

According to a report by The Hollywood Reporter, Tfue is suing FaZe Clan for allegedly restricting his opportunities for business and taking up to 80% of his earnings from branded videos and 50% from touring and appearances. The main focus of the lawsuit that the gaming personality has brought against FaZe Clan concerns the organization's violation of California Law regarding the deal he signed with the esports entity back in 2018 that the lawsuit from Tfue alleges caused the popular Fortnite player to miss out on a lucrative deal and the failing of sponsorship deal payments. 

"That Gamer Agreement is grossly oppressive, onerous, and one-sided," said attorney Bryan Freedman of Freedman + Taitelman. "Faze Clan uses its illegal Gamer Contracts to limit Tenney to deals sourced exclusively by Faze Clan and to prevent Tenney from exploring deals presented by others; deals that are potentially superior to deals procured by Faze Clan; and deals that are not saddled with an eighty percent (80%) finder's fee."

The report states that Tfue had tried to have the contract terminated in September, alleging that FaZe Clan had breached the agreement. However, the organization did not accept the termination and stated that he is still bound by the contract between the two parties. This led to Tfue asking the court to declare that the contract has been terminated while also fighting for fair payment from his services as a member of FaZe Clan. 

In addition to his contract issues regarding payment in his suing of the organization, Tfue also is alleging that the organization pressured the Twitch personality and YouTuber to live in one of its residencies in Hollywood Hills with other content creators. Here, Tfue claims, FaZe Clan gave him alcohol when he was not of legal drinking age, encouraged him to take part in illegal gambling and to take part in dangerous stunts for videos where in one case Tfue injured his arm. 

This lawsuit also alleges that the organization had also violated the Talent Agency Act by signing an 11-year-old player and pressuring the individual and their family to lie about the player's age. 

While signing to an esports organization often allows for content creators to help grow through exposure and the opening of doors to bigger opportunities, there have been a wide example of cases recently where contracts between players and esports organizations often are revealed to have been taking advantage of the players who signed them leading to a movement in the industry calling for the increased involvement of lawyers and agents in contractual dealings. 

It remains to be seen if Tfue will leave FaZe Clan following the resolution of his lawsuit against the organization, but this situation itself will no doubt help to kickstart much more engaged discussion and action regarding labor disputes in the esports industry.