The legal battle between Turner “Tfue” Tenney and FaZe Clan is kicking into a higher gear.
According to a report by TMZ, the organization is filing suit in New York’s federal court against Tfue, claiming breach of contract, and that he “damaged the brand” in his attempt to split from the organization. TMZ did not release the court filing, but their report states Tfue has made over $20 million since signing with the team, which has only netted a $60,000 return for FaZe.
“Though a rookie athlete, Tenney was an adult when he signed his contract,” FaZe said, per TMZ. “An initial rookie contract is a risk that the organization takes; most young players young careers never take off.”
Neither FaZe Clan nor Tfue have issued a statement on the lawsuit.
Tfue vs. FaZe Clan lawsuit history
Tfue first filed legal action against FaZe Clan in May, claiming the contract he signed was exploitative and illegal. He also stated that he had suffered damages in the form of lost sponsorship opportunities. Tfue’s legal team also took issue with how the contract included clauses that allowed FaZe to shave up to 80% off the top of players’ brand deals, tournament winnings, and other sources of income.
FaZe responded to the situation very poorly, with COO Richard Bengtson agreeing with many of Tfue’s allegations on Twitter. He also acknowledged that the contract was “horrible” in a deleted Twitter post.
Despite that, FaZe launched a substantial counter-offensive against Tfue that included claims that he had betrayed the team by filing the lawsuit, and was purely motivated by greed. FaZe also pushed back against Tfue’s importance to the team, implying that they had built him into the star he is today. They added that Tfue was not important to the organization’s bottom line.
Up until this point, FaZe’s gripes with Tfue have largely played out over social media rather than through lawyers.
While this is a major development in the story, it is not a surprise, as these cases often see countersuits. Whether this will serve to force the two sides into settling or drive a greater wedge between them remains to be seen.
