FaZe Proze reveals what’s next after huge Warehouse challenge victory

After three weeks of grueling live-streamed competition, Proze is the newest member of FaZe Clan and winner of The Warehouse challenge — and this is just the beginning of a new chapter for the seasoned content creator.

On May 6, 22 hopeful influencers gathered under a single roof to compete for the title of the next FaZe Clan member.

This contest wasn’t your average talent show; each of these creators were being live streamed 24/7 for a three-week period, intermittently going head to head in high-stakes challenges to determine who would be eliminated and who would stay as part of the FaZe1 recruitment challenge.

This first-of-its kind program ended with a huge bang on May 26, when the ultimate winner was revealed. On top of being the first FaZe1 inductee, the victor would also receive $1 million in cryptocurrency, a $250,000 GHOST sponsorship, and a shiny new Nissan GTR.

Out of the final three, Canadian Twitch streamer Gabriel ‘Proze’ Gélinas took home the coveted prize — and an enviable spot in FaZe Clan, one of the biggest esports and entertainment organizations in the business.

We got the chance to sit down with FaZe Proze to discuss what’s next for the rising star after taking home such a monumental win, as well as the challenges and difficulties he faced in The Warehouse.

• Read More: Proze takes out $1m prize & joins FaZe Clan after winning FaZe1 Recruitment challenge

While you’d think the streamer would put his feet up after weeks of nonstop competition, it’s business as usual for Proze, who says that he’s still a busy bee after taking home the W.

“I wish I could say it’s just me relaxing now, but it truly is not,” he laughed. “I’ve been going at it, it’s been work ever since I joined. I’ve been going hard at it. But honestly, the feeling is surreal. It hasn’t fully hit me yet, to be honest. But I’m trying to enjoy every single day, just one at a time. I’m really grateful. I enjoy what I’m doing right now, so it’s been amazing.”

As for what led him to victory? Proze says that confidence is key, because it translates into everything you do… especially your on-camera presence.

“I always had confidence,” he said. “The way I see it is, if you don’t believe in yourself, who’s gonna believe in you? You have to believe in yourself first. I came in really confident, just in my ability to stay myself, enjoy every single moment I had there, and be literally the best version of myself I could be.”

“That was my whole goal, and that was what I was aiming for every single day. So, I was confident. I really wished and hoped that I would be there in the end, but at the end of the day, my whole way to go about it was to be myself and show myself for who I really am.”

The Warehouse’s biggest challenges

Being on a live-streamed show every night and day sounds like a massive undertaking for just about anyone… but for Proze, that in itself wasn’t the biggest challenge that the Warehouse presented him. Instead, he claims that getting enough sleep was the biggest difficulty of the show — as well as having to entertain viewers for 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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“I’m gonna call myself lucky, because I’ve been creating content for eight years,” he admitted. “So I’m used to having cameras, not on this level, obviously. Probably, going to sleep [was the hardest part]. Going to sleep was hard, and having to entertain at all times, you know. You usually start a stream and then you end it and you’re like, ‘Whew, I can take a small break.’ In those situations, you have to be on all the time.”

“It is a challenge, but it’s a cool challenge, because it forced ourselves to see what we could do. I think all of us in the top 22 grew from this experience, so it’s really cool. We managed to push ourselves and show that even when we’re really tired, we can still come up with good ideas and create entertaining stuff for our fans back home.”

Pushing past uncertainty

While he might be the latest FaZe Clan inductee, his path to fame and glory was fraught with uncertainties. The Warehouse was paused for a time due to multiple positive tests from its participants, prompting FaZe to regroup with increased restrictions.

In the end, the in-person show was continued in a breakneck “5-day sprint” to crown the winner — and it was a frightening time for everyone involved, Proze included.

“It was obviously stressful. I mean, the idea of something outside of your control affecting your performance, or your chances to even compete, was really hard. For me, it was stressful, but I was just grateful to have an at-bat. That’s the way I was seeing it. I was scared enough of not having that at-bat to actually be there in the Warehouse and show what I have. That was the scariest part. I tried to keep myself focused and stay inside my room. I worked out a little bit. I tried to just stay focused on the goal at hand and believe.”

“Believe in yourself”

After submitting his introduction video, it was all on the line for Proze. Out of the final three, he ended up walking away with millions — and some invaluable life lessons. For Proze, victory is all about belief… both in oneself and one’s abilities.

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“Believe in yourself,” he urged. “I think some people in the top 22, at some point, doubted themselves, which is totally fine — and even me at some points, I was like, ‘This is getting hard. Am I the next one to go?’ But always having belief really shows off on the camera, I think — the ability to actually trust that you’re doing well, even if there are some moments that you’re not doing as much as you could, or that you wish you could do. Always believing that you have the potential and are the one to do it is really what stood out for me and what I’m gonna take back from this experience.”

With a pocket full of crypto and a major sponsorship, fans are curious to see what’s next for FaZe’s new star. While he’s got some plans for the near future, he isn’t certain what his next order of business will be. Either way, though, he’s extremely grateful for his friends and his fans — and they can’t wait to see where life takes him.

“I’m not too sure yet,” he said of his upcoming exploits. “I have a few things planned obviously at the major this weekend, the Toronto major for the COD event. I have a few plans to see my fans back in France, because I’ve never been there. We’ll see what happens, but I have a few plans in mind.”

“I’m just really grateful for all the support I had, especially from my friends, my French fans, and obviously for the new people who follow me who speak English. I’m really excited they accepted me with open arms, and I couldn’t be more grateful for all the support I got. I can’t wait to see what’s next.”