FaZe Banks: Org is ‘figuring out’ relationship with NICKMERCS after recent controversies

The streamer has been outspoken about controversial topics for quite some time now.

nickmercs faze
Image via FaZe Clan

NICKMERCS has been the topic of several controversial social media conversations this year, and it has some fans questioning his status within FaZe Clan.

Recommended Videos

The controversial streamer was the subject of a question on a recent Banks stream, and the FaZe founder and CEO offered a tepid take that raised some eyebrows about the CoD player and former Gears of War pro’s future with the team.

NICKMERCS wearing a headset, looking confused.
He’s been outspoken about controversial topics of late. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Banks said NICKMERCS is “still currently in FaZe” and that he’s a “great fuckin’ guy,” whom he loves along with “his family,” but “we’re still kind of figuring out what that relationship looks like.” His comments ended there, leaving the immediate future murky on what it actually means for the streamer’s standing with the organization.

NICKMERCS originally joined FaZe in 2019, with a message of spreading love and positivity. His social media presence has gotten significantly more political in 2024, and it’s certainly affected his image one way or the other.

A quick browse of his Twitter/X timeline shows the streamer speaking out against transgender people and bashing a pride parade in Toronto in between posts about going live on Kick and several clips of him gambling on stream.

In June, he was banned from Twitch for transphobic language, doubling down on comments that got his own custom operator skin removed from purchase in Call of Duty last year, calling transgenderism a “mental health disorder.”

Regardless of how anybody feels on these sorts of subjects, it’s something that any company or organization affiliated with NICKMERCS must either consider or address, lest they become the subject of backlash. So in the end, it makes sense that Banks and/or FaZe may be taking a second look at things or talking with the streamer about the future.

With the U.S. in seemingly constant turmoil during an election year and either side of the political spectrum voicing their opinions online, it seems that 2024 will only become more of a time for hot takes and loud opinions as the year wears on.

Author
Image of Scott Duwe
Scott Duwe
Senior Staff Writer & Call of Duty lead. Professional writer for over 10 years. Lover of all things Marvel, Destiny 2, Metal Gear, Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, and more. Previous bylines include PC Gamer, Red Bull Esports, Fanbyte, and Esports Nation. DogDad to corgis Yogi and Mickey, sports fan (NY Yankees, NY Jets, NY Rangers, NY Knicks), Paramore fanatic, cardio enthusiast.