Things haven’t been great for the esports industry as of late. Once thought to be the next wave of professional sports, things have sputtered and fizzled a bit since then. FaZe Clan, an esports company that went public last year, recently laid off 40 percent of its staff as its stock price shrunk from $13 a share to $0.59. That doesn’t mean its giving up though, as the company recently signed Grace Van Dien, better known as Chrissy from Stranger Things.
Both FaZe and Van Dien made the announcement on Twitter with a video introducing her. She’s going to go by bluefille, which means “Blue girl,” apparently. Van Dien is an attempt by FaZe to capture some of the buzz Van Dien got last Summer for her viral turn in the super hit that is Stranger Things.
Case in point: Here we are writing about it. We wouldn’t be doing it if she hadn’t have joined, so at least there’s that. FaZe made waves when it signed legendary rapper Snoop Dogg, but Snoop bailed last month as the company’s stock continued to plummet.
In March, FaZe got a letter from the Nasdaq Capital Market that it’s in danger of being delisted because its share price has been below the $1 minimum price for more than 30 days. Things are obviously falling apart at FaZe, and it’s not really clear if a tertiary character from a hit show is going to help. But stranger things have happened.
Star power is very important to FaZe, as Casper Van Dien, a famous actor from the ’90s, also makes an appearance in her announcement video, in which she says all the things that someone expects her to say. She “loves” gaming. She played Super Smash Bros. a lot. Stranger Things is her favorite show. She streams and likes to “rage” on Valorant. She likes playing Among Us too, she’s just like you!
“When I first started streaming, it just was not kicking,” she said in the video. “Sometimes that got me down a bit. But then I saw that the 20 to 40 people I did have were the same 20 to 40 people everyday, and I’m able to build relationships and friendships with these people.” She “laughs” so much while streaming, and “the loneliness that you feel in life gets taken away” when you’re doing so.
At one point she’s asked, “what do you think you bring to FaZe Clan that’s needed?” Her answer? “Estrogen.” It’s a tongue-in-cheek response but it is strangely prescient. FaZe Clan absolutely needs more women to be interested in the company, and hiring Van Dien is a good step in the right direction. However, there’s an even more real possibility that it’s too little too late.