FaZe Clan, the esports and creator organization that went public this summer, has selected the gaming platform The Sandbox to develop and host a virtual world that will be the gaming company’s home in the metaverse.
Known as “FaZe World,” the virtual world is expected to launch next year and will feature a variety of digital goods and experiences to connect FaZe Clan creators and fans together. As part of the partnership with The Sandbox, FaZe is also planning on selling the digital real estate surrounding FaZe World — a 12×12 plot of digital land in The Sandbox — to allow fans to become virtual neighbors to one of the largest and well-known esports brands.
FaZe Clan CEO Lee Trink previously told THR in July that the brand was looking to expand its presence into web3 and the metaverse, and in a conversation this week, the executive described The Sandbox partnership as FaZe’s “first big swing” in the metaverse.
As other companies like iHeartMedia have launched virtual worlds in gaming platforms like Fortnite and Roblox, Trink said FaZe selected The Sandbox as its partner in part due to its creator revenue share model, where creators who sell their NFTs on The Sandbox‘s marketplace receive 95 percent of the proceeds.
“We’re very simpatico in how we view the world,” Trink said. “It seems like a very creator-friendly environment.”
FaZe initially launched in 2010 as a collective of gamers who played Call of Duty, but the brand has since grown to become a major organization across entertainment and gaming. In March, Snoop Dogg joined FaZe’s board of directors and client roster, which has swelled to more than 100 members.
“Gaming is so foundational to every description of essentially every metaverse,” Trink said. “Who better to usher in gaming creators and the gaming community [into the metaverse] than FaZe Clan?”
