Brands

GameSquare Launches FaZe Media

Published by

James Fudge

4 months ago

Publicly traded gaming and esports company GameSquare Holdings (NASDAQ: GAME) announced the launch of a new division specifically built to leverage the brand and talents of FaZe Clan, which it completed the acquisition of in March. The new division is called FaZe Media and combines the remaining FaZe creator talent roster and its non-esports assets into “a creator-led IP and internet media company” that will be led by original FaZe Clan co-founder and current CEO Richard Bengtson, better known to the world as FaZe Banks. Anyone paying attention to social media over the last month or so noticed that the roster of talent under the auspices of the FaZe brand was let go, and a core group of content creators were selected as the new and improved members of FaZe Clan.

“Grateful for the opportunity at a genuine reset with FaZe Clan,” FaZe Media CEO FaZe Banks said in a release. “Anyone that’s actually tapped in can agree, this was long overdue. We’ve prioritized pretty much exclusively on creating a fun environment that we (as FaZe members) can find passion in, be excited about, look forward to. Do things we find interesting, exploring opportunities in content we feel are important/ relevant to our culture/ community. Partnering with Matt Kalish & GameSquare has proven paramount in this vision coming to fruition. Slowly, but surely. Exciting.”

In conjunction with the launch of the new FaZe Media division, GameSquare announced that it has closed a $11M investment capital deal with Matt Kalish, who is best known as the co-founder of Draft Kings. GameSquare will continue to provide certain corporate and agency services to FaZe Media as part of the agreement.

“My investment in FaZe Media and decision to join its board is a vote of confidence in the leadership and generational creative talent of CEO FaZe Banks, as well as that of FaZe’s founders and creator roster,” Matt Kalish said. “I believe this team, with the support of GameSquare’s capabilities and infrastructure, can relaunch the FaZe brand and restore it to the gaming and internet culture juggernaut the founders had originally created.”

FaZe Media is described as an “operating subsidiary of GameSquare,” with the company owning 51% and Kalish owning the remaining 49%. The focus of the creator-led internet media company will be to continue to promote the brand for licensing and sponsorship opportunities, to create content for its millions of fans, and to venture into new business sectors such as cryptocurrency (a topic Banks and many of his creative team feel strongly about). FaZe Banks will continue to serve as CEO, with Kalish and GameSquare CEO Justin Kenna “serving on the board and in governance roles.” GameSquare will continue to own 100% of the esports competition assets under FaZe Gaming, according to the announcement.

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James Fudge

With a career spanning over two decades in the esports and gaming journalism landscape, James Fudge stands as a seasoned veteran and a pivotal figure in the evolution of esports media. His journey began in 1997 at Game-Wire / Avault, where he curated gaming and community news, laying the groundwork for his expertise in the field. In his more recent roles, James cemented his status as an authority in the esports business sphere as Senior Editor Esports at Sports Business Journal and The Esports Observer between 2018 and 2021.