From homeless in New York at 19 to a mellow life in Los Angeles at 35, Xander has been by my side through it all. My closest family and friend, and the greatest ears the game has ever seen. RIP bud, you’ll be missed.
With peaceful protestors for hours right outside my building. Police showed up spraying rubber bullets and throwing countless tear gas grenades. I have video but saw with my own eyes that the police caused every bit of escalation here. Protestors were even helping direct traffic.
About
@xQc
- We see countless DMCAs come in for our clients, and we normally advise not to counter due to the extreme risks. We discussed all options with Felix and he is confident, as are we, that the content in question was fair use. As such, he made the call to take a stand.
Dota 2 is the greatest game ever made and League of Legends was created as its tutorial for people not skilled enough to deny creeps. Screenshot this for owners to show me when I start negotiating league contract next offseason.
Twitch did not change. The law did not change. Just the law we’ve been warning you about for years is now being enforced by record labels. You can be angry, but point your anger at the right people. And PLEASE read this next tweet about “fair use” before using that term.
Today marks 5 years since I opened my first law firm, 7 years since I was broke and living on a friend’s couch, 9 years since I was a bartender, and 11 years since I dropped out of college a second time. Your circumstances and life can change. Be willing to change with them.
If any protestors were arrested tonight in Los Angeles and need help, please DM me. I am not a criminal attorney but I am speaking to many who are willing to offer their services pro bono. Be safe, and don’t fight the law alone.
#LosAngelesProtests
#BlackLivesMatter
#GeorgeFloyd
When I was in school every kid I knew was starting a record label. Nowadays it’s “esports teams.” The difference? They’re putting out legally binding contracts that ruin up and coming players careers. More importantly than getting an attorney, use common sense.
Nah. While publishers do own their games and control how they can be used, most EULAs allow for streaming and most games have streaming policies that don’t require a formal license. Bad legal advice is bad. Listen to lawyers, not people repeating stuff they read in AOL chat rooms
Streamers worried about getting their content pulled because they used music they didn't pay for should be more worried by the fact that they're streaming games they didn't pay for as well. It's all gone as soon as publishers decide to enforce it.
Getting more emails from people who are getting discriminated against for not wearing a mask and looking for a law firm to help them. As someone who has done countless pro bono hours trying to help people stand up for their rights, I’m happy to give you advice. Go fuck yourself.
Just had an owner who refuses to pay his former players call me a leech and say that “there is no need for you in a civilized society.” Yes, you are correct. Thanks for keeping me in business, evil owner :)
“You are my family” and “you hurt my feelings” are the excuses and arguments we’ve heard from so many owners for years now to guilt players into compliance and not standing up for their rights. It’s over. This industry has come too far.
@JoogSquad
Because I fkn helped him blow up and changed that kids entire life. The very least I could ask for in return is he stay loyal to me and the brand that gave him his first real shot. Like what? FaZe is what's best for him.
All these people who are excited for the FF7 remake but didn’t even play the original make me sick.
Sick with jealousy. Excited for everyone who gets to experience this story for the first time. Quit gate keeping, ya nerds. It’s an open world game. Gates are for chocobos.
So heartbreaking seeing so many of you posting pictures at parties, the gym, etc.
Seeing those next to the headlines of hundreds of deaths in a single day in Italy and so many new serious cases diagnosed here.
Stay home, think about someone else for once in your damn life.
Today, we turned off in-game purchases for
#StarWarsBattlefrontII
. The game is built on your input, and it will continue to evolve and grow. Read the full update:
I got randomly grouped with a guy from Japan in Fortnite, he friended me after the first game tonight and we played 15 games together. Barely able to communicate with each other, but we talked the whole time regardless and had a blast. I remember why I love video games.
-Twitch has to act when they receive a DMCA.
-More eyes are on Twitch than ever with quarantine.
-Labels are finally coming for their money.
-You need to license or own the music you stream.
-There are services that help.
-Countering a DMCA is dangerous.
-SPEAK TO A LAWYER
“Fortnite is too much of a staple now. It will be untouchable for five years minimum.”
“Fortnite is in real trouble. Apex does what it does but better.”
The same guy with “esports consultant” in his LinkedIn profile (who gets hired often) one week apart. Keep hiring the best!
Date: So you’re a lawyer? What kind?
Me: I work mostly with video game developers, youtubers, that kind of world. It’s a weird one, I know.
Date: So do you live with your parents?
England, Denmark, Canada, and all of the other countries with barely any gun violence have video games. You can play any game there you can here in America. What they don’t have is the NRA and bought Republicans making sure no gun control laws are enacted. The problem is obvious.
How silly you fools investing in the normal stock market must feel. I put all my money in cryptocurrency so nothing can go wrong. Haven’t had time to check on it lately but I’m sure it’s 5x’d in value easy by now.
“If you get a lawyer we’re pulling the offer” has been replaced by many esports teams with “you have one hour to sign this or it’s gone.”
Arbitrary deadlines and pressure are usually proof you’re being taken advantage of. Demand time for proper legal review with your lawyer.
So sad hearing my little cousin talking about her followers and who is coolest at school based on that number. I wish I could explain it doesn’t matter. That no matter how hard she tries to be cool in homeroom, I’ll always have more than her and grandma will love me most.
When you counter a DMCA, the rights holder's only option is to sue you. As such, Felix is taking on an incredible risk to stand up for what is right here. That said, DO NOT COUNTER your own DMCAs without speaking to an attorney. Even if you are right, it can be VERY costly to win
For anyone interested what an evil marketing company pretending to be a player association's agreements look like. This was never about helping players, it was about making money and winning personal feuds with owners. I've been saying this since 2016 with the PEA letter.
We are not suing anyone here, and we expect the IOC to make the right decision and let this die. If that is the case, this is a done deal and nothing more to the story. However, we are ready to defend Felix no matter how they choose to proceed.
Since everyone is posting their esports biz history, I’ll share mine:
2019 - Bad at Dota
2018 - Bad at Dota
2017 - Bad at Dota
2016 - Bad at Dota
2015 - Went 46-2 with Riki once
2014 - Bad at Dota
2013 - Bad at Dota
2012 - Bad at Dota
2011 - Bad at Dota
2010 - Bad at Dota
I’m not sure what games the men are playing who are claiming women don’t suffer extra issues. The second a female voice comes on the mic in a competitive game they are met with constant and brutal harassment. Women have quite literally been silenced as a result.
My contract with every player at Evolved is public and approved by the state of California. Teams saying they are agents (and most forcing exclusive agent relationships illegally) don’t have the same responsibility. That’s one of many reasons why this matters.
#ReleaseTheContract
I've had the pleasure of working with
@miakhalifa
for a few years now, and she is one of the most genuine and awesome people around. Really happy to see her speak about all of this, and highly recommend everyone gives it a watch.
Deliberately not talking about my past has hurt my future more than speaking my truth ever could. I’m ready to shed light on every questionable moment from my past, because if I own it, it can’t be used against me.
Look at the white girl smile and laugh to the camera as the black couple behind them gets tazed, maced, and beaten violently. Both cars were "breaking curfew," yet not a single cop in this video looks at the white couple. This is the America we live in.
I left school 600k in debt. I often think about where my businesses could be if I wasn’t (still) strangled by the fact I wanted an education while poor. Amped by Warren’s bill and will never stop believing education and medicine should be free for all.
I walked with the protesters to the Beverly Center (which despite trending twitter topics, is not Beverly Hills). I saw not one instance of violence or even threats from protestors. An army of police have shown up, and things will clearly escalate. Heartbreaking to watch this.
This was a long time coming in esports. The industry has shown little to no respect to actual labor or fair competition laws. Faze getting the blame for what has become industry standard. Repeated to death, but all players should have an agent and a lawyer.
JUST IN:
@TTfue
has filed a lawsuit against FaZe Clan today saying they are violating California law by allegedly restraining his business opportunities and taking up to 80% of his earnings
If you scream the n-word because you're angry/drunk/sad/freestyling/laughing/crying/whatever - you definitely also scream it in your car with the windows rolled up when someone cuts you off. Better your real world habits to the point where slurs aren't an innate reaction.
Byron spoke to me almost daily about the struggles of his colleagues. He had a belief that platforms imposing forced weekends or set days off for streamers would go miles in helping the mental health of his friends. Please, give yourselves time to rest. Your fans will understand.
"If you're happy this debate is over, you're not alone. This is a low point for America, and certainly the lowest point in American presidential debate history. I'm at a loss for words for what we just witnessed. Undignified."
-NBC News
That's a real quote. And it's very true.
“I know the contract says we can do that, but we never would.”
Then take it out of the contract. Don’t trust anyone more than what they’re willing to put on paper. Listen up gamedevs and esports pros alike.
Fair use is a defense, not a right. Streaming content with music playing in the background IS arguably fair use (see Lenz v Universal). However Twitch doesn’t get to decide that and neither do you. Only a judge or jury can, and that’s a VERY expensive dice roll.
At 16 I broke into an abandoned hospital with friends because it was “haunted.” Cops found us, guns drawn, and detained us. However, the cops laughed and let us go, saying they got some “monkeys” yesterday doing exactly what we did and they didn’t want to hurt our records.
This is beyond heartbreaking. John was a legend and was one of my favorite people to bs back and forth with on Twitter. Glad his pain is over, but the industry lost one of the greats today. My bought with
@GennaBain
and the rest of his family.
As a child I was assaulted numerous times for being a Jew. I had one of my friends tell me I had to “drop that jew shit” if I wanted to stay friends. However those kids would never publicly state their antisemitism. Now they can. My heart goes out to Monsey.
Fuck your red hats.
Fun legal tip: Its generally not defamation if you make it clear something is only your opinion. For example: I only THINK Tom Brady is a hellspawn monster who eats children and kicks puppies. I am not saying that’s a fact and I have no proof.
There are respected orgs in esports taking 30% prize cuts and paying their players in jerseys and false hopes.
Cant tell you how many players DM me begging to get out of these awful agreements, and how screwed most are because they signed the damn thing. Lawyer before you sign.
Disgusted by the number of people defending someone who beat his family live on stream. I know there will always be trolls, but the number of people trying to actually rationalize it is sick. There’s no debate to be had here, what that man did is awful.
This is the definition of dangerous and bad advice. Stop RT’ing this. Free does not equal fair use. Not sure how many lives need to be hurt before the community can accept this.
When I was a kid, I never understood how Rome fell. The top nation in the world with seemingly endless resources and technology compared to those around them, and our teachers would explain it simply as "They fell to barbarians, both from outside and from within."
I get it now.
So what do I recommend? Fight for policy change at a legislative level. There are much more important issues going on in society right now, obviously, but the DMCA process needs a rewrite with where the internet is. Most streamers are 100% infringing. That needs to change.
If you’re rude to my staff, you’re no longer our client. Doesn’t matter how big your retainer. It’s always the people who worked the least for what they have that feel the most superior to everyone else.
Everyone was speeding. Faze got pulled over. Tfue is the good guy here, but Faze is not the bad guy. These contracts becoming more and more the industry standard is the problem, and I believe the owners of these teams will correct in a positive way. Writing full thoughts today.
Important: Law students are not lawyers. People who have “seen a lot of contracts” are not lawyers. Some lawyers aren’t even actually lawyers and they’re just shape shifting demons from another plane. ALWAYS use a lawyer for your contracts, but also ALWAYS research them.
Some fool said awful and selfish stuff on her stream. Everyone quote tweets the video. Now she’s recognizable instead of an obscure nobody.
Can’t we just let the awful people stay irrelevant and unknown? She’ll have a reality tv show and a mixtape within the week.
I don't know Hellena, but if she gets in trouble for violating her NDA and can't afford legal counsel, my team would be honored to represent her entirely pro bono. This is important information being shared.
I got my start in the games industry by helping developers for free, and the community has always had our back in return.
My entire team wants to give back how we can during these difficult times, so we are offering FREE help for anyone who needs any of the following:
“The customer is always right” is an outdated mindset. If you threaten and are rude to my team, you’re no longer a client. “Do you know how much I spend here” isn’t going to change that.
Subtweet Fridays.
Proof protestors were not blocking traffic, were not threatening police, but were met with unannounced teargas and rubber bullets. Also proof that shirtless guy is kind of a superhero as he swats away a tear gas grenade. He also later helped me apply milk to many who couldn’t see
Hey pros excited about Valorant, please don’t tweet terrible things about the game you currently make a living in while showing that excitement. You can have other interests, but don’t burn every bridge behind you. Being a pro also means being professional.
“Will you condemn white power groups?”
“Sure! Proud boys, stand aside and standby. Someone has to do something about antifa.”
Fuck this human garbage fire. Voting for Trump is your right. But don’t for a second try to deny your bigotry and racism if you do.
The last year
@Byron
has been one of my closest relationships. I’ve had the pleasure of working with him on Everland and I’ve seen him at the highest of his highs and lowest of his lows. He worked hard to normalize therapy and mental health awareness. Remember him fondly. RIP.
I just had an esports org owner tell me he hopes I'm helping my client pro bono, because the player has had financial hardships in the past. Meanwhile, those financial hardships are *because* the owner hasn't paid the player anything he's owed. New worst owner in esports!
So many esports teams are starting player agencies. Without getting into the legalities of why that’s a major issue, can we common sense look at the conflicts here? Your boss should not be your representative negotiating your deal against your boss.
I can’t believe people are tweeting me to help him. Don’t you know I run the secret Illuminati that controls the gay frogs that shut his channel down? We couldn’t allow the truth to be heard! You sheeple were so close.
The Alex Jones channel with billions of views is frozen. We have been told it will be deleted tomorrow and all 33 thousands videos will be erased. We just set up this new page subscribe if you want to see what the SPLC wants censored..
Dota 2 is the worst game in the world. I just lost to a team that had a techies. That techies player's name was ButtsMcGee. He was voted MVP of the match. Friends don't let friends play Dota.