Ricky “FaZe Banks” Bengtson left FaZe mainly because he felt his personal lifestyle, interests, and public controversies no longer matched what FaZe Clan is trying to be as a brand, with the $MLG crypto drama acting as the breaking point rather than the sole cause.

What Actually Happened

  • In 2025, Banks not only stepped down from leadership but fully walked away from FaZe, the organization he helped build, framing it as his own decision rather than getting pushed out.
  • He publicly said that his interests and lifestyle – especially his love for crypto and gambling – “do not align” with what FaZe is today, and that he did not want to pretend to be someone he isn’t just to stay in the org.

Role of the $MLG Coin Controversy

  • Before his final exit, Banks was hit with heavy backlash over promoting MLG Coin, a Solana-based meme/MLG cryptocurrency that surged and then crashed, leading many online to accuse him of being part of a pump‑and‑dump scheme.
  • Banks denied intentionally scamming anyone, but the wave of anger, hit pieces, and constant accusations reportedly took a mental toll and made him feel like his presence was hurting FaZe and the newer creators he had just brought in.

Deeper Reasons Beyond the Drama

  • Even before the coin drama blew up, Banks had already started a “reboot” of FaZe, bringing in younger talent with the idea of passing the torch and modernizing the brand.
  • At around 33 and publicly associated with high‑risk crypto, gambling, and more “unfiltered” internet culture, he felt he represented an older era that didn’t fit a cleaner, sponsor‑friendly FaZe image anymore.

Why He Framed It as His Choice

  • Banks has emphasized that he “wasn’t let go,” presenting the move as a strategic, self‑aware decision to step aside so FaZe could thrive without being tied to his controversies or lifestyle.
  • Instead of dragging things out with public feuds or long drama streams, he opted for a relatively quiet, clean break, which many commentators framed as a rare “grown‑up” move in influencer culture.

Big Picture: Why Did Banks Leave FaZe?

  • Combination of factors pushed him out:
    • Brand misalignment (his lifestyle vs. FaZe’s current direction).
* Reputation damage and stress from the MLG coin controversy.

* His own long‑term plan to hand the brand to a new generation instead of clinging to power.
  • In the end, Banks leaving FaZe is often described as him recognizing he’d outgrown his own creation and choosing to walk away before he became a liability to it.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.