In a shocking turn of events, popular esports player Talal Almalki, better known as Virus, announced his departure from FaZe Clan. For those unfamiliar with the name, Virus is from Saudi Arabia and is considered one of the best first-person shooter players in the world. He joined FaZe Clan in 2020 and, since then, has become a prominent member of the organization's competitive Call of Duty team. He is also known for his content creation on platforms such as YouTube and Twitch, where he streams and shares his gameplay, as well as his thoughts and opinions on the game and the esports scene.
FaZe Clan is one of the most successful and influential esports organizations based in the world. Founded in 2010 by a group of online gamers, FaZe has since grown to include players and content creators across various games and platforms. FaZe is known for its competitive teams in games such as Call of Duty, Fortnite, and Valorant, as well as its highly popular YouTube and Twitch channels.
Virus set his sights on becoming a member of the FaZe Clan in 2019 and after a year of hard work and dedication, he finally earned the coveted spot as an official member. He quickly proved himself to be a valuable asset to the Faze Clan, but his tenure took a turn in 2022 when he publicly expressed his opposition to the LGBTQ+ community in response to a tweet from the FaZe showing support for the community. This statement drew significant criticism and backlash, and Virus ultimately deleted his tweet. Now, in a YouTube video, Virus has announced his departure from the Faze Clan, saying that he had been mistreated by the organization during his time there.
Virus further added that following the LGBTQ tweet event, he received a lot of hate specifically from one of the owners, and he felt like the owner wanted to kill him. Additionally, Virus mentioned that FaZe never seemed to be receptive to any of his ideas, like bringing FaZe to the Middle East and collaborating with a Saudi Arabian team, even when he directly pitched these plans to them.
Virus's departure from the FaZe Clan is certainly disappointing news for his fans, and it may draw negative attention to FaZe from fans in the Middle East. This is the second big loss that FaZe has suffered recently, as it suspended Call of Duty professional Kenny Nguyen, better known as Mew, a few days ago.