Tragic Details About FaZe Clan
In just a few short years, FaZe Clan has grown to be a major force in the world of esports. Boasting lavish mansions and comic book team-ups with the likes of Batman and the Justice League, FaZe Clan continues to be on top of the competitive gaming world. Of course, that success has also come with plenty of shady moments, not to mention a number of difficulties.
Living in the public eye and performing at such a high level can take a toll on even the most focused players, and FaZe Clan is no different. Tragedy has followed the group over the years, and these hardships have taken on many forms. A number of FaZe Clan's members have suffered losses and battled their own personal demons. While the adoration and support of an avid fanbase certainly helps to soothe some of the pain, that positive energy is not always enough. Here are some tragic details that you may not have known about the members of FaZe Clan.
Ewok struggled with depression and online hate
FaZe Clan made waves in 2019 when it signed noted "Fortnite" streamer Ewok, who was only 13 years old at the time. The young streamer, who was born deaf (per Ginx.tv), came out as transgender the following year, informing fans that his pronouns are he/him. While Ewok expressed excitement over finally being able to live as his authentic self, it seems that the pressures of a grueling streaming schedule proved to be unsustainable.
In March 2021, Ewok revealed to fans that he'd been receiving a great deal of "hate" from people online, which had led to a declining enjoyment of streaming. After weeks of only streaming a few hours a day and cutting his streams short, Ewok tweeted, "I've been draining myself lately... I'd take it all back to have a normal life, but ... I don't want to throw all of those potential opportunities away just because haters are getting to me or my depression. My depression is getting worse [at the moment] but it is what it is."
Later in the year, Ewok announced his departure from FaZe Clan, thanking the org for the opportunities it had given him. At the time, outlets such as Win.gg theorized that Ewok's declining hours spent streaming may have been connected to the end of his partnership with FaZe. Whatever the case, hopefully Ewok's change of pace leads to greater peace of mind.
ZooMaa's injury forced an early retirement
In January 2021, the esports world was shocked to learn that former FaZe Clan member and "Call of Duty" pro Thomas "Zooma" Paparatto would be forced to retire from competitive gaming. At the age of 25, ZooMaa explained to fans in a TwitLonger that he had incurred an injury in his thumb and wrist that made it impossible for him to continue playing "CoD" at the same level. The injury had necessitated surgery when he was still with FaZe Clan, but the continued strain of competition caused the old pain to flare up again.
"It breaks my heart to step away from a game I put my heart and soul into every single day for eight years," ZooMaa said at the time. "Tearing up just writing this, but I don't know what else to do at this point."
While many fans thought that this would be the last they'd see of ZooMaa in the gaming world, he was happy to prove them wrong. In November 2021, FaZe Clan announced that ZooMaa had rejoined the org as a content creator, partnering with FaZe to launch a new era of his popular podcast, "The Flank." While his injury will keep him out of competitive gaming for the foreseeable future, ZooMaa expressed his appreciation towards his old team in a press release (via Dexerto). Of his latest venture, ZooMaa said, "I couldn't be more excited to be welcomed back to FaZe Clan with open arms and am excited for what the future holds."
FaZe Rain
While many streamers have come forward and gotten honest about their addictions, some of the stories hit pretty hard. FaZe Rain, one of the owners of FaZe Clan, was one of these cases, and his drug addiction had some very tragic consequences.
Back in 2020, Rain sadly revealed that his drug addiction had left him without any type of motor function in his legs. Unfortunately, this meant that he couldn't use his legs to support himself, and he was confined to a wheelchair. Rain explained that the entire ordeal was incredibly painful since he wasn't exactly paralyzed — he could still feel the pain in his legs despite not being able to use them. His struggles came after he was kicked out of the FaZe Clan mansion because of these drug issues, along with his mental health struggles.
After about a year, FaZe Rain was able to walk again, and he seemed to resume his regular life activities.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
FaZe Banks
FaZe Banks, one of the founders and owners of FaZe Clan, has also opened up about his "drug addiction" to Adderall, which was actually all a ruse. In 2017, he posted a video on YouTube to let fans know his story and be as transparent as possible.
He started his story by explaining that he was never actually addicted to Adderall – although he did say he had tried it in the past — and that he lied in an effort to hide his mental health struggles. Banks pointed out that his mental health struggles were having a massive impact on his life, and he was making bad decisions and scaring the people close to him.
Banks pointed out that he was extremely embarrassed about his struggles, and he thought that blaming Adderall would make the most sense. At the time, he was speaking to a psychologist to try and get help, but a conversation about prescription drugs caused him to come up with the idea.
FaZe Banks pointed out that he was finally in a better place mentally, and that he was ready to move on.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
FaZe Cizzorz
Streamers, whether they're content creators or esports pros, often have to put on a brave face when things are going on in their personal lives that can make it hard to perform in front of thousands of people. FaZe Cizzorz is no exception. He went MIA in mid-2021 as he shared his mental health struggles that were becoming overwhelming in tandem with family issues.
After going in the dark for months, Cizzorz let fans know that he had been wrestling with his mental health because of the COVID pandemic. While he was struggling, his father also developed Alzheimer's, which only deepened Cizzorz's mental health challenges.
In the months following the original tweets, Cizzorz was a bit more active online and let fans know on Twitter that he's "doing okay." He also participated in a charity walk to raise awareness and support Alzheimer's research for his father and others burdened with the disease.