FaZe Clan joined the majority of esports organizations and gaming companies on June 1 by announcing its support for Pride Month. This caused some chaos in the esports community, however, when one of FaZe Clan’s members denounced the tweet.
“Sending love to our LGBTQ+ friends, family, and community,” FaZe Clan tweeted along with a rainbow-fyed logo.
The Pride Month tweet caused a lot of drama in the gaming community. Some applauded the change while others voiced frustration with the presumed “pandering.” Others still responded with homophobic messaging. But it all came to a head when a FaZe Clan pro player announced that they didn’t support FaZe’s tweet.
FaZe Virus tweets he doesn’t support FaZe Clan Pride Month post
Call of Duty player Talal “Virus” Almalki decided to respond to FaZe Clan’s Pride Month post with his own sentiments about the Pride Month announcement.
“Just to clarify that I don’t support any kind of LGTBQ or anything similar even if FaZe does. I’m a Muslim,” FaZe Virus said.
FaZe Virus is the organization’s first signing from Saudi Arabia. He has gained a huge following for his Call of Duty videos, especially on YouTube. Some of the player’s fans came to defend Virus amidst the ensuing controversy, saying that it’s his right to not support LGBTQ+ rights due to his religious beliefs. Many others demanded that he be removed from FaZe Clan.
Virus decided to delete the tweet soon after, although many still have the screenshot saved and have been sharing it across social media. Despite just announcing its support of the LGBTQ+ community, FaZe Clan has made no further statements and took no action after Virus came forward with his anti-LGBTQ+ statement.
Olivia Richman
About Olivia Richman
Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.
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