The Shady Side Of FaZe Jarvis

Jarvis Khattri, also known as FaZe Jarvis, is a 17-year-old British gamer and entertainer who garnered riches, fame, and infamy by creating Fortnite-related content. Jarvis and his brother, FaZe Kaye, are part of FaZe Clan, an esports organization founded in 2010. The group first became famous on YouTube with its Call of Duty videos, but has since diversified into Counter-Strike, Fortnite, FIFA, Rainbow Six, and others games.

Jarvis dropped out of school to pursue a career in professional gaming and later moved to the Clout House, a $15 million, 10-bedroom luxury mansion in Hollywood Hills he shared with the other FaZe gamers. He has since returned home to Surrey, England where his mother lives in an estimated $1.7 million property. This move followed Jarvis's controversial lifetime ban from Fortnite, a punishment issued by Epic Games after Jarvis uploaded a video in which he openly used cheating software during matches.

While some have dismissed Jarvis's decision to cheat as a misguided but well-meaning attempt to entertain his fans, this was hardly his first questionable act. Here's a look at the shady side of FaZe Jarvis.

In November 2019, Jarvis hit the headlines after receiving a lifetime Fortnite ban. While the jury is out on whether a lifetime ban is too harsh, especially for a teenage gamer, Epic has not budged on its decision. A surprising outcome given Jarvis's former status as one of Fortnite's most popular content creators. "We have a zero-tolerance policy for the usage of cheat software," a spokesperson for the company said. 

Jarvis shot himself in the foot by filming himself using aimbots in multiple clips. Aimbots are a kind of cheat software that automatically aims weapons, giving the user a huge advantage. "[And] they ruin games for people who are playing fairly," said Epic. Jarvis cheated in more than one match, and many say he should have known better given Epic's history with cheats. The developer has even filed lawsuits in the past. Though Jarvis did not cheat during a tournament, his decision to compromise the integrity of the game for his own profit and entertainment speaks volumes about his character.

Did Jarvis know how much hot water he could land in when he filmed himself cheating? Or did he get overconfident? 

In his "apology" video, he defended himself by saying he used aimbots only for instructional videos and never for competitive gaming. On Twitter, he claimed he wouldn't have cheated had he known the consequences. You'll note that he doesn't express any remorse over ruining the game for others, merely his "misunderstanding" of Epic's policies. His mother also defended him, saying he didn't physically hurt anyone and the lifetime ban was harsh. 

Aimbots are not always easy to detect in a match but Jarvis made more than one clip of himself using them. Jarvis also used his alternate account for the cheats, which could imply he knew he would get into trouble. On the other hand, those who defend him say he did nothing to hide his use of cheat software, and didn't even try to shield his IP address. 

Before he was banned, Jarvis boasted to his fans about making more aimbot videos. In the now-deleted video that got him in trouble, you can hear him say: "It was so much fun filming this ... definitely one of the best videos I've ever filmed." He also asks his fans to give him a boost on YouTube if they want to see him use cheat bots in a live game: "You guys wanna see me play squad, duo with some people like that, may sure you give me a like," said the streamer. "That's gonna be a lit video." 

Fortnite has a straightforward rule about using aimbots and players risk being banned and having their accounts locked or deleted for breaking it. Certain kinds of aimbot software are more than just cheats that make your game easier: they have been known to contain ransomware and other malware that delete the user's data or compromise their personal details. Jarvis did not seem to care that his status as a content creator would inspire other Fortnite players to follow in his footsteps, leading to an influx of unfair matchups and infected computers.

While Jarvis's crocodile tears didn't drum up much sympathy, they made up for it with cold, hard cash. His apology video likely made him thousands of dollars, with marketing analysts placing the figure somewhere between $25,000 and $50,000 thanks to ad revenue and other factors. Jarvis is seen breaking down in the video, saying: "It didn't even cross my mind to think that I could be banned for life." 

Jarvis received a lot of criticism for using his ban to earn a big payout. "At around the 2:40 mark in the video, he appears to be trying harder than anyone ever has to cry. Hopefully with the $25,000 he made he can invest in some acting lessons," wrote William Worrall of CCN. The video has over 12 million views. 

Like so many rule breakers, Jarvis does not appear sorry about how his actions affected others, only that he got caught and has had to face the consequences. His tearful admission seems like little more than a ploy to use his status to pressure Epic into reducing his punishment while making up some of his lost earnings.

Early in January 2020, Jarvis released a rap song, earning himself the epithet of the worst rapper on YouTube. Titled "Banned 4 Life," it details his rise to fame alongside his brother and the Fortnite ban that followed. In the video, Jarvis is seen walking around shooting a number of characters (badly) dressed as Fortnite players until he gets taken down himself.

Some people have compared the music video to the one H1ghSky1 came out with on the heels of the Tfue controversy. That song earned the dubious distinction as "the cringest and most annoying rap song there was." The same writer called Jarvis's song "an abomination," citing bad lyrics and a choppy beat, and referring to the streamer as a "wannabe Drake." Despite the disgust it has inspired, the video has racked up over 3 million views and 142,000 likes.

The song's technical failings aside, "Banned 4 Life" pokes more holes in Jarvis's apology. He continues to create YouTube content for his sizable fan base and the music video makes it clear he still does not understand or respect Epic's decision to ban him. 

FaZe Kay, Jarvis's brother, filmed a video that centered on making Jarvis think Epic had lifted his ban. Though some have called the video a "brutal prank," it looks more like a set-up designed to use Jarvis's situation to earn the siblings some quick money.

In the video, Kay sends Jarvis a fake email stating Epic had overturned the ban. He also plays one of Jarvis's recordings, making Jarvis think Kay had access to his account, and again getting his hopes up. In both cases Jarvis eventually catches on, but not without what appears to be (unintentional?) overacting and certain scenes that seem staged, including multiple camera angles.

This is not a huge surprise, as the brothers have filmed a series of prank videos, apart from all the other content they keep generating on their YouTube channels to keep their fans coming back. Like the apology video and "Banned 4 Life," this prank has all the makings of another money making stunt.

The teenage gamer was suspended from Twitch on June 28, 2019, just months before being kicked off Fortnite. The result of copyright violations, Twitch issued the ban alongside a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown. Jarvis's mistake was playing copyrighted music while streaming on the platform. Despite being a 24-hour suspension, it took a while for Jarvis to get his account back. "Jarvis has been banned on Twitch. We are trying to fix it," his brother tweeted.

In the high-stakes world of professional gaming, racking up bans is not uncommon. Jarvis wasn't the first FaZe Clan member Twitch booted. A year earlier, the gamer H1ghSky1 had his account suspended following an age-related controversy. FaZe Clan allegedly pressured the Fortnite prodigy into lying about his real age to compete in professional gaming leagues. This was one of many accusations made against the organization by Turner "Tfue" Tenney as part of a lawsuit. FaZe Clan has developed a reputation for its shady business practices, so the questionable actions of its members can hardly come as a shock.

Besides gaming, Jarvis and Kay have built a popular side business making prank videos. One of Jarvis's most watched videos is titled "I stream sniped FaZe Kay until he RAGE QUIT FORTNITE," which has almost 12 million views. It inspired a part two a couple months later, though that managed a mere 3.9 million views. Another of his popular prank videos is "5 ways to prank your brother using Fortnite," a sort of revenge for Kay's "5 ways to prank your little brother."

Clearly, Jarvis is not always the one masterminding the practical jokes; more often than not, he ends up on the receiving end. For instance, in one video, Kay roped in his girlfriend Charlotte Parks for a break-up prank. Then, there was the wireless keyboard one and another where Jarvis was mock-kicked from FaZe. Jarvis and Kay also have numerous hack videos and other content on their YouTube channel. While many look at this type of content as harmless fun, Jarvis and Kay's use of games like Fortnite to trick and upset one another contributes to an already toxic gaming culture filled with trolls and cheaters.

He might have been banned permanently from the game, but Jarvis isn't done with Fortnite. "I love creating content for you guys and I promise you I'm going to keep going," Jarvis told his followers in a video released after the ban. "The chances of him playing Fortnite are zero. The chances of him creating content around Fortnite — there's potential in that," commented FaZe Clan owner Ricky Banks during an interview. 

The question is: what does Epic Games think of this? Some believe his ban only applies to playing, but others say it should encompass all aspects of Fortnite. Even if that is the case, it remains to be seen whether Epic can stop the teen from releasing content centered on their product. Should they manage to do so, it could set a new precedent for the gaming industry. No matter the outcome, you can bet FaZe Jarvis will continue to do whatever he thinks will earn him the most views and money.