New York judge dismisses several claims in FaZe Clan vs Tfue lawsuit

Richard Lewis

Following our report last week that both FaZe and Turner ‘Tfue’ Tenney were seeking summary judgments in their ongoing lawsuit, a New York court has ruled to dismiss several of the claims and counterclaims made by both parties.

While the lawsuit will still be ongoing this will streamline the arguments made by the respective legal teams and should speed up the resolution of the case.

The esports organisation FaZe, who were the plaintiff in the New York counter filing, had been arguing that Tenney had learned trade secrets while he was representing them.

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These trade secrets supposedly included how to draw attention to YouTube videos via the use of formulaic thumbnails. As expected the court has dismissed this argument and the claim for “misappropriation of trade secrets” will no longer make up part of their complaint.

In addition to this the court has dismissed FaZe’s claim for “intentional interference with contract,” where it was alleged Tenney had encouraged other representatives to leave the organisation. The same complaint that is made in regards to brand deals and sponsors will remain under consideration when the court convenes.

Tfue in FaZe Clan
FaZe Clan counter-sued their former player, Tfue, claiming he cost millions in lost income.

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Finally, the judge also dismissed FaZe’s claim that because Tenney had publicly recommended that up and coming talent don’t sign with organisations like FaZe, he had commercially disparaged them. The argument that such opinions are protected under New York law and free to be expressed was upheld.

For Tenney’s legal team, the judge dismissed counterclaims for fraud and breach of fiduciary duty. All other counterclaims that revolve around the validity of the contract are still recognised as having potential merit.

Currently, Tenney’s case against FaZe in the state of California is on hold pending the resolution of the New York filing by FaZe. While these dismissals should speed up the resolution of the lawsuit there is still a long way to go before it is over. We shall keep you up to date with the latest here at Dexerto.

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About The Author

Richard Lewis is a veteran, award-winning British esports journalist, with over a decade of experience covering the biggest scandals and uncovering the inner workings of esports. He has been recognized for his contribution to esports with a lifetime achievement award in 2020. You can find Richard on Twitter at @RLewisReports.