FaZe Clan did not start with investors, executives, or a billion-dollar valuation. It started on May 30, 2010, when three teenage gamers - Eric “CLipZ” Rivera, Jeff “House Cat” Emann, and Ben “Resistance” Christensen, created FaZe Sniping. Their setup was simple: bedrooms, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 , and a love for pulling off difficult sniper trick shots. The early content was built around montages and high-skill plays, not business plans. One of the biggest early boosts came from “ILLCAMS,” a synchronized YouTube series that packed their wildest gameplay together. The FaZe name began carrying its own status inside gaming, turning a small online group into a recognizable identity. Then the model changed. Thomas “FaZe Temperrr” Oliveira and Richard “FaZe Banks” Bengtson became key figures in management, helping move the brand beyond anonymous gameplay and into personalities, vlogs, creator houses, and influencer-led content.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!
The Call of Duty group grows into something much bigger
That shift gave FaZe a much bigger lane than Call of Duty alone. The organization pushed into esports and built championship-level teams in Counter-Strike, Call of Duty, Fortnite, and Rainbow Six Siege.
