FaZe Esports is clearing the air. The organization confirmed this week that Helvijs “broky” Saukants, the Latvian AWP specialist, is still under contract and on the bench, not out the door.

The confusion started after FaZe posted a video titled “Goodbye broky” on July 7, 2026. The name did what names like that tend to do: made everyone assume the worst.

## What actually happened

FaZe benched broky from their active CS2 lineup on June 25, 2026, replacing him with JBOEN, a player brought in on loan. The roster move was quiet. The video that followed was not.

“Goodbye broky” landed online and immediately read, to most observers, like a farewell. It was framed, and later clarified by FaZe, as a tribute to his nearly seven years of contribution to the team rather than a goodbye to the organization itself. In English: he is still a FaZe player, just not one currently competing.

The video was sponsored by Rollbit, a crypto-adjacent gaming and wagering platform. The sponsorship was for the video, not an announcement of any new deal or token launch tied to the player’s status.

Broky joined FaZe’s starting lineup in September 2019, making him one of the longer-serving players in the organization’s CS history. This is not broky’s first time on the bench, either. He was previously sidelined in May 2025 before returning to the active lineup. The current benching follows that same pattern: a roster adjustment, not a severance.

## FaZe’s roster turbulence and what it signals

What made this situation noisier than a standard bench move was the tribute video itself. Posting a “Goodbye” piece for a player who is technically still yours is an unusual communications choice. It blurs the line between celebrating tenure and signaling departure. FaZe’s clarification suggests the intent was the former, but the framing created enough ambiguity that a public statement became necessary.

For FaZe as a brand, the organization has cultivated a crossover identity that sits at the intersection of esports, streetwear culture, and digital finance. Crypto partnerships have been part of that picture, with the organization previously working with firms including MoonPay.

## What this means for FaZe’s crypto and sponsor relationships

The Rollbit sponsorship on the tribute video is not nothing. Rollbit operates in the crypto gambling and trading space, and its placement on a high-profile piece of FaZe content, even a player tribute, keeps that partnership visible during a period when the organization is under scrutiny for its competitive performance.

The absence of any token launch, NFT drop, or digital asset announcement tied to broky’s benching is also worth noting. There was a period, roughly 2021 to 2022, when esports organizations routinely attached crypto products to player announcements and team milestones. The Rollbit sponsorship on the tribute video is a more modest form of crypto integration: brand placement rather than speculative product launch.