Ben Simmons to feature in Twitch Rivals' COD Warzone tournament for FaZe Clan

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, Call of Duty has organised multiple online tournaments for players. The first-ever Call of Duty League (CDL 2020) recently concluded with Dallas Empire bagging the million-dollar cash prize as they cruised past Atlanta FaZe. However, the Los Angeles-based company is returning with a FaZe Clan tournament – Twitch Rivals: FaZe Face-Off Ft. Warzone. While the tournament will feature popular FaZe faces, NBA stars Ben Simmons, Josh Hart and Zach LaVine will also take part in the proceedings. 

Also read | Ben Simmons joins FaZe Clan as investor, announces new moniker 'FaZe Simmo'

Ben Simmons to participate in upcoming COD Warzone tournament

According to reports, Simmons, who recently joined Faze Clan as an investor, will be part of their celebrity lineup. The Philadelphia 76ers star will play with his new moniker for FaZe – FaZe Simmo. Along with NBA stars, Marshmello, Slim Jxmmi, Carnage, Lil Durk and Alexandra Long will also make an appearance for FaZe Clan's first event with Twitch Rivals –an esports tournament and online competitive event for Twitch streamers and other professionals. 

Twitch Rivals: FaZe Face-Off Ft. Warzone is scheduled for September 17, 5:00 PM EST (September 18, 2:30 AM IST), and will also feature regular FaZe players like FaZe Apex, FaZe Rug, NICKMERCS, FaZe Temperrr, and FaZe SWAGG. The event will be played among 20 teams with four players and offers a massive $75,000 prize. While Twitch Rivals' official channel will live stream the whole event, FaZe will also broadcast the tournament live. Former Warzone winners like Mason 'Symfuhny' Lanier, Vikram ‘Vikkstar123’ Singh Barn and Aydan ‘Aydan’ Conrad will also compete. A proper format for the tournament is yet to be provided. 

Also read | LeBron James' son Bronny follows Ben Simmons after signing for eSports giants Faze Clan

Ben Simmons FaZe Clan announcement

On August 25, FaZe announced that 76ers star Ben Simmons will join their team as an investor. Apart from Simmons, New Orleans Pelicans’ Josh Hart, the Miami Heat’s Meyers Leonard and the Denver Nuggets’ Jamal Murray are part of the FaZe clan. However, the details or terms of Simmons' investment were not revealed. 

"My role with FaZe now goes much deeper than the initial investment,” Simmons told Forbes. "I am going to bring it back to Australia and bring an international side to it. I also want to bring more kids into it.” The 24-year-old NBA star is known for his love for esports and was seen interacting and playing with FaZe members on social media, including co-owner Thomas “Temperrr” Oliveira. Simmons was also announced as their brand ambassador and appeared on Slam magazine's cover with Temperrrr.

While the NBA season was suspended, Simmons participated in the FaZe Clan-organised #Fight2Fund tournament. The tournament, which also featured Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George and NFL's JuJu Smith-Schuster, raised around $125,000 for COVID-19 relief. Simmons also has his own Twitch channel 'SimmoTheSavage', where he has around 48,600 followers. Simmons and the 76ers were recently eliminated from the NBA playoffs after a 4-0 first-round series with the Boston Celtics. While at the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida, the 76ers guard was sidelined after a left knee injury during a seeding game against the Washington Wizards. 

Also read | CDL Championship Weekend: Live stream details, how to watch and schedule

Along with Ben Simmons, LeBron James' son Bronny James also recently joined the FaZe Clan. The company announced the news on August 31 accompanied by a video of Bronny's basketball highlights. Bronny, who currently plays basketball at his high school Sierra Canyon, LA, is an avid gamer and boasts 340,000 followers on Twitch. He also regularly streams Fortnite, Warzone and NBA 2K on his channel. Like Simmons, Bronny is unlikely to play competitively for FaZe. Founded in 2010, the esports company has professional teams for Call of Duty, CS: GO, PUBG, PUBG MOBILE, Fortnite, FIFA and Valorant.  

Also read | Call of Duty League: Dallas Empire ease past Atlanta Faze to clinch CDL 2020 title

(Image credits: Ben Simmons Instagram)