Banks announcement overshadowed as ex-FaZe boys announce new CORE organization

Khizar Mundia Published 01/05/2026

Richard “Banks” Bengtson shared a trailer in an X post, which had fans speculating that he is planning on relaunching FaZe Clan. But this turned out to be incorrect, and the former FaZe boys surprised everyone by announcing their new organization, CORE.

FaZe Clan and its owner, Banks, have both been part of many controversies, ranging from alleged crypto scams to viewbotting allegations. The organization’s members shocked everyone when they announced a mass exodus in late 2025. Almost all creators left, leaving the organization no other option but to shut down its content section. Banks, who had also reportedly left the organization in mid-205, shared a trailer that viewers thought was an announcement for the relaunch of FaZe Clan.

The announcement was far from what fans were speculating, and Banks revealed answers to some questions that were haunting viewers. In a surprising turn of events, the majority of the main ex-FaZe boys announced their rebranded group, CORE, at the same time as Banks’ announcement livestream.

Image credit: Banks

What was shown in the FaZe Clan trailer?

The trailer starts off with three young kids cycling, and then they entered a property with a “do not trespass” sign. Following the route leads them to a rundown house, which one of the kids refers to as the “FaZe House”. They enter the house and notice that it’s falling apart, has PCs full of cobwebs, awards on shelves, and a portrait of “Old Man Banks”.

The kids talk about a way to summon the ghost of Banks, and the streamer appears covered in a bedsheet, leading to one of the kids punching him. All the kids make fun of Banks, telling him he’s too old or asking him to get a job and leave. Banks goes to another room, revealing a streaming setup. The trailer ends with Banks’ words “Tomorrow” and Banks’ Twitch channel link.

Image credit: YourRage

This teaser trailer saw rife speculation online, with a direct FaZe announcement seen as the most likely scenario, but Banks’ then started streaming and it coincided with the big CORE news.

Banks announces return to livestreaming, but not what fans were expecting

Banks went live on Twitch, peaking at roughly 66,000 viewers. He initially shared a message about doing it alone if nobody supports the vision. The stream was an announcement for a new show called Market Bubble, which will be livestreamed every Thursday with trading and financial advice. Banks took responsibility for the end of FaZe Clan, claiming the issue was alignment, and he ignored contracts, which led to the downfall. His viewers waned quickly when they found out Banks wasn’t relaunching the organization, and was essentially announcing a prediction markets podcast.

Image credit: Banks

Viewers and other streamers reacted critically to Banks’ announcement, with some even alleging that the streamer was beating a dead horse. What made matters even worse was that the former FaZe Clan members announced their new organization, CORE, while Banks’ stream was being broadcast. This led to Banks’ streams viewers reportedly dropping significantly, with some speculating that the streamer was viewbotting, as his announcement wasn’t what people wanted to hear.

What is CORE?

CORE is a content organization, and the name means Create, Own, Run, Everything. This was announced in an X post, with the members shown in a picture. Banks talked about CORE’s announcement in his stream, claiming the picture is a remake of a photo from the FaZe era. This was met with severe pushback from viewers, who argued that the picture was a generic group photo template.

Image credit: CORE

The following six ex-FaZe members are part of the organization: Alexander “Adapt” Hamilton Prynkiewicz, Jason “JasonTheWeen” Thanh Nguyen, Rani “StableRonaldo” Netz, Nick “Lacy” Fosco, Jerry “Silky” Woo, and Marlon “Marlon” Lundgren Garcia. Former FaZe member YourRage talked about not joining, stating that he wishes them the best, but doesn’t want to be in a group at this point.

CORE has already livestreamed its first broadcast, showing off a reported $20 million Los Angeles mansion, which the group has established as its base. The organization also crossed 100,000 YouTube subscribers in just six hours, reportedly making it the fastest-growing content organization to reach the milestone.

The termination message on CORE’s YouTube channel (image credit: YouTube)

CORE sets record, then experiences setback

Fans were overjoyed with CORE setting a subscriber record on YouTube on the same day it was officially launched, but not everything was positive for the channel. CORE reached a final tally of just above 130,000 when YouTube unexpectedly terminated it. There was no statement or reason for the termination, which is normal for streaming platforms. Viewers found out the channel was taken down when they tried opening the mansion video, and were notified via an error.

Viewers are speculating why the channel may have been taken down, with some alleging that the AI may have flagged CORE for botting because of the massive increase in subscribers. Others are wondering whether the channel being used was old and repurposed, causing YouTube to take action. Regardless of the reason, the CORE boys may speak out on it soon as this is an early blow to the organization’s formation.

Feature image: Banks, CORE

Khizar Mundia

About Khizar Mundia

Khizar Mundia has been playing video games for as long as he can recall. Things have come a long way since the many days he spent playing the original NES, though. He now covers a variety of competitive games and esports, as well as the world of streaming, ranging from Twitch to Kick. If it’s of interest to gamers, it’s of interest to Khizar.

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