Cloud9 CEO claims org didn’t lose “a single dollar” with Perkz sale

Cloud9 founder and CEO Jack Etienne has claimed that the org lost no money in the acquisition and subsequent sale of mid laner Luka ‘Perkz’ Perković.

Cloud9 Perkz burned bright and brief, spending just one season with the North American organization before asking to leave and return to Europe.

Cloud9 made waves in December 2020 as they won the fierce bidding war for the Croatian mid laner, paying G2 Esports a reported $5 million fee to bring him to the LCS. He signed a three-year contract, with the organization reportedly paying him $2.7 million per year.

Things started well as Cloud9 won the LCS Spring Split. However, the team faltered in the Summer Split, finishing third to secure only NA’s bottom seed at Worlds.

A comedy of errors at Worlds forced Cloud9 to go through the Play-In’s knockout stages to get to groups, where they lost their first three matches. They eventually qualified for the playoffs thanks to a miracle run on the final day, but their Worlds journey came to an end in the quarter-finals against Gen.G.

Perkz saga hasn’t cost Cloud9

Offseason rumors linked Perkz with a move to Team Vitality, where he is expected to build a superteam to contend in the LEC alongside Team Liquid top laner Barney ‘Alphari’ Morris.

In response to a post on Cloud9’s subreddit, Jack Etienne has now claimed that C9 lost no money from the Perkz saga.

While Cloud9 most likely would have rather kept Perkz on their roster for 2022, losing no money on the premature departure of one of the org’s biggest signings is nothing short of financial genius, and speaks to the pedigree that Perkz’s name still carries.