A new lawsuit filed against Faze Clan, a popular e-sports organization and YouTube network, by one of the internet\u2019s most popular personalities is shaping up to be a milestone moment for online content creators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Turner \u201cTfue\u201d Tenney is one of the most prominent Twitch streamers in the world, having catapulted to the upper echelon of online creators thanks to his prolific Fortnite <\/em>playing and consistent performance in the game\u2019s competitive circuit. But a new lawsuit filed by Tenney\u2019s lawyers today alleges that his employer, Faze Clan, has taken financial advantage of him by way of an exploitative contract and unlawful behavior on behalf of Faze\u2019s management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lawsuit states that Faze has deprived Tenney of certain business opportunities, failed to pay the Fortnite <\/em>player his share of brand deal revenue, and grossly undercut his earnings by taking up to 80 percent his earnings in some situations. The suit also argues that Faze is operating in violation of Californian law, specifically the Talent Agency Act, by essentially operating as a talent agency without a proper license or abiding by the necessary regulation. The complaint also alleges that members of Faze encouraged Tenney to gamble and drink underage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBecause the esports industry is so new, there is little to no regulation or oversight. There are no real organizations such as unions guilds to help protect the content creators\/streamers that drive the industry.\u201d <\/p>attorney Bryan Freedman<\/a> writes in the complaint.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n E-sports organizations are complex entities<\/a>, often acting as entertainment businesses, talent agencies, apparel companies, and collectives of social media influencers simultaneously. Creators like Tenney sign contracts with these organizations as a way to boost their careers, but it\u2019s often in exchange for a cut of earnings for any and all of these platforms and business avenues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tenney first signed the contract, referred to within the court document as a \u201cGamer Agreement,\u201d in April 2018 when he was 20 years old. The contract specifically states that Faze gets 80 percent of all revenue that Tenney makes through sponsored videos on Twitch and YouTube, where he has more than 10 million subscribers, according to Tenney\u2019s lawyer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a number that has other creators in the gaming space shocked, including Tyler \u201cNinja\u201d Blevins, who said such terms would be \u201ca joke.\u201d Blevins spoke about the lawsuit on his Twitch stream, telling his audience that \u201c80 percent is insane.\u201d Ali \u201cMyth\u201d Kabbani expressed his sympathy for Tenney<\/a>, tweeting, \u201cI genuinely feel so bad for [Tenney].\u201d Freedman refers to the divide as \u201cgrossly oppressive, onerous, and one-sided,\u201d in the complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faze is calling those numbers and claims inaccurate. A statement from the company sent to The Verge <\/em>states that since Tenney signed the contract in April 2018, the organization has collected no money from Tenney based on Twitch, YouTube, or social media revenue. Faze\u2019s statement also claims that it has not collected a single cent in tournament winnings since Tenney began competing on behalf of the e-sports organization. Tenney is the second-highest earning Fortnite <\/em>player in the game\u2019s history, having won a series of major competitions that have netted him more than $500,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n FaZe Clan\u2019s response to today\u2019s press article regarding Tfue: pic.twitter.com\/eVdRVMnRpl<\/a><\/p>\u2014 FaZe Clan ? (@FaZeClan) May 20, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>