NA LCS Season 3 Summer Finals vs Team SoloMid

Lore & Background

Cloud9 was officially created in May 2013 after Jack Etienne purchased the contracts of Quantic Gaming's League of Legends players. The team went on a 13-game winning streak in the 2013 NA LCS Summer Split regular season, the longest in LCS history at the time, and finished the season with a 30–3 game record and a 90.9% winning percentage.

In Their Own Story

The arena lights hummed with a low frequency, vibrating through the floorboards where the players sat. Doublelift adjusted his headset, the silence in his peripheral vision broken only by the glow of the monitors. Across the stage, TSM's formation was rigid, a wall of blue against Cloud9's white and gold. The crowd noise swelled like a rising tide as the draft locked in. In that moment, before the minions spawned, the weight of every previous match hung suspended in the air. It wasn't just about winning; it was about proving who truly owned the North American stage.

Reader's Guide

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Did You Know?

• Cloud9's starting roster for the 2013 Summer Split was Balls, Meteos, Hai, Sneaky, and LemonNation.
• Cloud9's 13-game winning streak in the 2013 Summer Split was the longest in LCS history at the time.
• Cloud9 finished the 2013 season with a 30–3 game record, the highest winning percentage in LCS history at 90.9%.

Origins and Early Acquisition

The foundation of Cloud9 traces back to a pivotal moment in early 2013 when five former Quantic Gaming players—Balls, Meteos, Hai, Sneaky, and LemonNation—united to form their own squad initially known as Team NomNom. Although they briefly rebranded under the Cloud9 moniker before being reacquired by Quantic Gaming on April Fool's Day, the organization's true independence began in May 2013. Former Team SoloMid manager Jack Etienne and his brother Paullie Etienne purchased the players' contracts for less than $20,000, officially establishing Cloud9 as a distinct entity. This acquisition marked a significant shift, transforming a loose collection of talent into a structured professional organization with Paullie serving as chief operating officer and Jack's father acting as legal counsel. This humble beginning set the stage for what would eventually become one of North America's premier esports brands.

Rapid Diversification and Funding

Following initial success in League of Legends, Cloud9 aggressively expanded its portfolio, launching divisions for titles like Smite, Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Halo by 2014. Despite dissolving their Smite team temporarily due to internal conflicts, the organization continued to grow, adding Call of Duty, Overwatch, and Vainglory in subsequent years. This rapid diversification attracted significant venture capital attention; by March 2017, Cloud9 secured $28 million in Series A funding led by Founders Fund, with backing from high-profile investors including Alexis Ohanian and Chamath Palihapitiya. Further investment followed in October 2017 with a massive $50 million Series B round led by Valor Equity Partners. These funds were instrumental in securing franchise slots for the Overwatch League's London Spitfire and the LCS, while also financing plans for a state-of-the-art training facility in Los Angeles.

Peak International Success

By 2018, Cloud9 achieved an unprecedented level of dominance across multiple disciplines, distinguishing itself from competitors who were scaling back operations. That year alone, the organization secured three major international championships: the Rocket League Championship Series Season 6 World Championship, the Overwatch League Grand Finals with their London Spitfire subsidiary, and the ELEAGUE Major in Boston for Counter-Strike. This period of triumph also saw Cloud9's League of Legends division securing a lucrative franchise slot for $10 million. The organization's success attracted major traditional sponsors like Red Bull, Puma, AT&T, and BMW, marking their first team sponsorships in the esports sector. Jack Etienne's leadership during this era was recognized with the 'Shaker of the Year' award, highlighting Cloud9's role in elevating global awareness for competitive gaming.

Controversy and Corporate Valuation

Despite its meteoric rise, Cloud9 faced significant regulatory challenges regarding player ownership structures. In November 2019, Riot Games fined the organization $175,000 after discovering that seven LCS players had been issued equity through restricted stock units since July 2018. This violated a rule prohibiting team owners from being on rosters, leading to additional financial penalties estimated between $330,000 and $605,000. Nevertheless, the organization's financial standing remained robust; Forbes ranked Cloud9 as the world's most valuable esports company in 2018 with a valuation of $310 million, later placing it fifth globally by mid-2022 after raising a total of $78 million in equity. Today, the company operates four franchised teams across League of Legends, Valorant, Call of Duty, and Rainbow Six, maintaining its status as a cornerstone of the American esports landscape.