Recently, the Call of Duty: Warzone community came together to support RowdyRogan following a ban from the popular battle royale game. However, it turns out that this ban was entirely staged, with the young player not being banned from Call of Duty: Warzone at all.
RowdyRogan’s surprising ban took the internet by storm after it happened, with a FreeRogan hashtag appearing on Twitter and the clip of the ban spreading like wildfire. Featuring the six-year-old crying into his dad’s arms after seeing that his account had been permanently deleted, the video of the moment quickly went viral. As it turns out, the video’s viral status was exactly what RowdyRogan and his parents were hoping for.
Though viewers assumed the controversial Call of Duty: Warzone ban was due to RowdyRogan being too young and violating the game’s TOS, the entire incident was staged as part of FaZe5’s Top 20 Challenge. With the FaZe member tasking gamers with creating viral videos, RowdyRogan’s family decided that going ahead with the challenge would be a wise idea. The goal of the huge internet troll was not only to build publicity for his channel, but to win the ultimate prize of the tournament.
The reward for earning the top spot in the competition is membership within the FaZe clan, and with multiple high-profile celebrities joining FaZe in recent years, the status that comes with membership in the clan is something that some gamers strive for. In the video revealing the RowdyRogan prank, the six-year-old’s mother says that her son winning the competition could “open the gate for young gamers” to find success streaming and posting videos. While the winners of the Top 20 Challenge have not yet been revealed, RowdyRogan has a legitimate shot at winning due to just how often the clip was shared.
With RowdyRogan himself coming up with the idea of the ban, and his mother warning that his fans would “go nuts,” the family knew they had the right idea for the competition. While RowdyRogan’s parents did apologize to those offended by the trickery, they also thanked everyone who supported the Call of Duty: Warzone streamer following his “ban” from the game. With Activision also involved in the prank, it seems like a lot of thought went into this FaZe competition entry.
How the streamer’s fans react to this maneuver remains to be seen, as some viewers will likely not take too kindly to being fooled by the youngster. However, for those that were concerned about the ban being legitimate, knowing that RowdyRogan will be winning matches of Call of Duty: Warzone again soon should come as a relief.
Call of Duty: Warzone is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.