Fortnite Pro Player Turner “Tfue” Tenney is suing FaZe Clan for what he believes is an unlawful and restrictive contract. Tenney’s lawsuit alleges that FaZe prevents him from signing many lucrative deals with sponsors and brands and takes a punishing 80% of his revenue from various, game-related deals.

There are several different elements to the lawsuit but the key components are Tenney’s claims that FaZe clan prevents deals, takes a large cut of some of those deals/winnings, and that it violates the Talent Agency Act. Under the Talent Agency Act, a company or person that helps an artist gain employment or “engagement” must be licensed by the labor commission and follow regulations. While the FaZe contract being oppressive is up for debate, it is still a legally binding document that Tenney signed in 2018. However, the claims of TAA violations could turn things in the Fortnite pro’s favor.

It’s no doubt a monumental development in the pro gaming scene and Fortnite. After signing with FaZe, Tfue grew to immense popularity on Twitch and the pro Fortnite scene, winning numerous events and tournaments and gaining tens of thousands of subscribers. The argument could be made that Tfue was the competitive “face” of Fortnite while Ninja was the personality.

Since the lawsuit was made public, FaZe clan owner and founder Ricky Banks has been firing back at the claims. Banks alleges that FaZe clan has not collected any sort of 80% cut and has let Tenney earn money as a content creator with minimal interference. According to Banks and an official statement from FaZe, the only split in revenue that has taken place involves sponsorship deals and amount to $60,000.

While disagreements and lawsuits between pro gamers and their organizations are nothing new, this is the first time that a lot of people will have seen things play out publicly thanks to Fortnite. If it continues, this lawsuit might also shine a light on how successful Fortnite players really are. Fans are free to make their assumptions based on tournament winnings and subscriber counts, but they don’t have a real picture of how much money something at the top of Fortnite is making.

Tenney has yet to publicly comment on the lawsuit but has removed all FaZe branding from his streams and social media.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter