FaZe Clan president Greg Selkoe has left the organization to pursue his own venture with two other top executives, the director of business development Clinton Sparks and president of apparel and special projects Wil Eddins, The New York Times reported earlier today.
The three partners have started a Boston-based competing organization focused on diversity in the industry called XSET. It’ll be “built on the principles of inclusivity and social good,” according to the New York Times.
“We’re not just going to take on somebody because they’re popular and have big numbers,” Sparks said.
Selkoe said the concept of XSET was driven by the idea that the esports industry lacks diverse representation. “Gamers are from all walks of life and all backgrounds,” Selkoe said. “But if you look at the current organizations, they sort of resemble a frat house. They’re not reflective of the racial and gender diversity in the gaming world.”
XSET has already signed several pros and streamers and aims to house three teams in Call of Duty, VALORANT, and Fortnite. CoD player Bartonologist, VALORANT player Thwifo, and Fortnite streamer AshleyBTW have joined XSET.
Miami Dolphins linebacker Kyle Van Noy and Minna Stess, a member of the U.S.A. Skateboarding National Team, also joined the organization. In addition to personalities in gaming, XSET aims to sign people from the entertainment industry, such as musical artists and brands. The creation of an apparel line is planned, too.
The vision for XSET seems to be different than FaZe Clan’s, though. “Gaming is no longer about YouTube and Twitch,” said Marco Mereu, the chief operating officer of XSET. “The Fortnite generation of gamers want their gaming content on TikTok, in memes, in Discord. You have to put content where they’re currently consuming it. We have a pretty robust content syndication model we’re rolling out with gameplay highlights, original content and partners in music.”
XSET’s official website already features a shop with a dozen of items available for purchase. The home page also includes a button that offers several ways to act and support anti-racism.
