FaZe Banks reveals potential departure from organisation on Ludwig podcast

FaZe Clan co-founder Ricky ‘FaZe Banks’ Bengston has disclosed he is considering stepping away from the organisation he helped establish, citing personal growth and the completion of his mission to revive the brand.

During an impromptu call on Ludwig Ahgren’s podcast The Yard on September 18th, Banks opened up about his current relationship with FaZe and revealed he has already begun distancing himself from the organisation.

The revelation comes less than two months after Banks stepped away from FaZe Clan in July amid allegations of crypto scam involvement, making this latest disclosure a potential finalisation of his departure from the organisation.

When asked about FaZe’s ownership structure following its privatisation, Banks explained that GameSquare had acquired the company before he and his partners repurchased it. The organisation is now owned by its members and distributed throughout the company, with all active FaZe members holding shares.

“I stepped away from FaZe recently and I’m kind of on my own s– right now,” Banks told Ludwig. When asked if he gave up his ownership, he stated: “It’s a little bit more complicated than that. It’s not like a one-day process. I’m kind of figuring out what the next steps for my own personal life are right now.”

The conversation took a personal turn when Ludwig questioned Banks about his lifelong commitment to FaZe. Banks acknowledged receiving ‘every possible sign a human being could get from the universe’ to move in a different direction, describing his relationship with FaZe as ‘toxic’ and ‘very emotional’ rather than professional.

“I did always feel like it was for life, but I don’t know,” Banks admitted. “I find myself over and over and over in every rendition of this thing, in every era of FaZe — like I just like I’ll put this before myself, before my sanity, before my health.”

Banks expressed pride in achieving his goal of reviving FaZe faster than anticipated. The original plan to restore the brand was projected to take multiple years, but Banks believes the turnaround has been completed in significantly less time.

“My whole goal with FaZe and this new rendition of FaZe — this new chapter — was to just simply bring the brand back,” Banks stated. “The brand was dead. The life got sucked out of it.”

He referenced the difficult periods of FaZe, stating that it ‘made a bunch of horrible people rich’ while leaving original members ‘holding a bag and all got fucked over.’

Banks credited the new generation of FaZe members with successfully carrying the brand forward, stating he has ‘properly passed the baton off to the new guys’ and that FaZe is ‘cool again and it belongs to them.’

“I love what FaZe is right now, but it’s just not, I’m not sure that it’s for me anymore,” Banks explained, noting that his interests may no longer align with the current direction of the brand.

The 32-year-old revealed that sobriety and health have become his priorities, leading him to reassess his involvement with the organisation: “I’m on a whole new path in my life. I’ve been sober. I’m trying to be healthy and I’m just trying to focus on shit that actually brings me joy and I find fulfillment and purpose in,” Banks explained during the call.

Despite the potential departure, Banks emphasised there is no animosity involved in his decision. He confirmed he will ‘always be the biggest fan’ of FaZe and wants the organisation to succeed. “There’s no disdain. There’s no like bad blood or anything. Of course, I’ll always want this to do well,” Banks stated.

Banks’ revelation comes months after GameSquare sold a 25.5% stake in FaZe Media back to him for $9.5m (~£7.1m) in early 2025, with GameSquare subsequently fully divesting from FaZe Media.

The organisation has undergone significant changes recently, including dissociating from former members following controversies, signing NFL quarterback Kyler Murray and announcing a Las Vegas relocation alongside its Call of Duty League roster.