Fortnite star Dubs suspended by FaZe Clan over racial slur

FaZe Clan has suspended one of Fortnite's most popular players after a video which showed Dubs using a racial slur during another player's stream was posted to /r/Fortnitecompetitive.

The video, that runs for 15 seconds, shows Dubs and an unnamed player playing "box fights" a custom game mode in Fortnite. At one point, Dubs inexplicably drops the "n" word before another player jumps in to stop him. 

"I am streaming! I am streaming Dubs, I am being dead ass. Oh my god, I'm streaming," the player yells.

The clip ends abruptly with Dubs saying "what?" clearly realising the error he has made.

Within hours of the clip surfacing, FaZe Clan announced they had "suspended Dubs indefinitely from representing FaZE Clan while in professional competition, streaming, or posting on his social channels". 

Adding that they will require, "Dubs to go through sensitivity training and proactively requiring all FaZe Clan members to go through sensitivity training immediately."

At the same time, Dubs took to Twitter to apologise for his actions.

"I can't even describe how sorry I am," wrote the 15-year-old, "I did not intend to be hurtful in any way but what I said was still hurtful, insensitive, and wrong."

"The word shouldn't have been in my vocabulary and I apologize from the bottom my heart to everyone I offended by using it. You deserve better."

• Read more: Fortnite pro "parpy" kicked from RBK

Dubs is one of the most popular players in the game, he came to prominence during the Fortnite World Cup. When, with his FaZe Clan teammate Noam "Megga" Ackenine, dominated the North American east qualifiers.

He qualified for the event five times over and placed 15th in the World Cup Solo Finals and 7th in the Duo Finals in New York.

This isn't the first time a Fortnite pro has been reprimanded for the use of racist language. Erik "Bloodx" Guttormsen was let go from esports organisation Eleven Gaming after allegations he used a racial slur in a Discord message.

Some are questioning why Dubs is seemingly getting an easier time than Bloodx, with the top-rated comment on the original Reddit reading being:

"When Bloodx said exactly the same thing... people ended his career within a day...Can anyone explain why it is acceptable that a popular player says racial slurs, but if the player is not popular they are a devout racist?"

It is not yet clear if Dubs will be able to return to FaZe Clan, with his status at the organisation unclear and surely at the mercy of how willing the Fortnite community is to forgive him.

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