A member of FaZe Clan since mid-2021, FaZe Kalei is a streamer and TikTok creator best known for her prowess in FPS games like Apex Legends and Call of Duty: Warzone. Initially tapped to appear in an upcoming FaZe Clan Call of Duty: Warzone event, Kalei was barred from becoming a captain in any Activision-affiliated events after the publisher cited issues with her “oversexualized” Twitter activity.In a now-deleted tweet, FaZe Kalei explained that she was barred from participating as a captain in FaZe Clan’s own competition and accused Activision of hypocrisy after Call of Duty developer Raven Software briefly changed its Twitter profile picture to a cropped image of another streamer’s backside tattoo. The extent of the restrictions placed on Kalei isn’t precisely known, but it seems as if she may still be able to participate in the upcoming Call of Duty: Warzone event in some capacity. The streamer has also recently suggested that Call of Duty: Warzone players may want to switch over to Apex Legends to get their battle royale fix.Many in the community agreed that Activision was overzealous and pointed to several instances in which the official Call of Duty Twitter account retweeted content of a sexual nature, the most infamous was an August 2021 highlight of a semi-NSFW music video from rapper Megan Thee Stallion, who is otherwise known for her Mortal Kombat 11 cosplays. Others argued that it doesn’t benefit Activision to police its community so heavily and that risqué content should be more acceptable in an esports environment centered around an M-rated game.
Esports commentator Jake Lucky offered a more neutral standpoint, arguing that, while the ban seemed unwarranted, FaZe Kalei’s behavior on Twitter was, at times, particularly egregious. Having jokingly posted vulgar tweets and images of inappropriate content in the past, Activision’s concern may seem warranted, particularly in light of the many advertiser-friendly content issues which have arisen on sites like YouTube and Twitch in recent years. Though FaZe Kalei has also been banned on Twitch in the past, without a similar regard for moderation on its own official channels, the Call of Duty publisher seemingly isn’t practicing what it preaches.
More egregious is the ongoing workplace misconduct lawsuit that’s been hanging over Activision Blizzard for the past few months. Numerous employees took legal action against the publisher in September 2021, alleging unfair labor practices and sexual misconduct in the workplace. It could be that Activision is particularly invested in censoring explicit material as a result of the lawsuit, or it could be that FaZe Kalei is being held to a higher set of standards than those abided by some of Activision’s higher-ups.
Source: Reddit u/Friday515