Cloud9 CEO commits to staying in LCS following TSM’s exit announcement

Luís Mira

Cloud9 CEO Jack Etienne has underlined his organization’s commitment to the LCS amid a potential exodus of teams from the league.

TSM CEO Andy ‘Reginald‘ Dinh announced on May 20 that the organization had put its LCS slot up for sale as it is planning a move to another tier-one region with hopes of finally clinching a World Championship title.

The news has raised even more questions about the future of the LCS, where viewership has been on a steady decline and international success has been hard to come by. Last month, CLG merged with NRG in a non-cash deal, bringing an end to one of the LCS’ longest-standing teams.

Cloud9 are “not going anywhere”, according to CEO Jack Etienne

In recent weeks, there have also been rumors that a number of LCS organizations have at least entertained the thought of leaving the LCS.

In a thread posted to Cloud9’s official subreddit shortly after TSM’s exit announcement, a fan started a discussion about which region the team should join if Cloud9 decide to leave the LCS. Shortly afterward, Jack Etienne dispelled any thoughts that Cloud9 might sell their LCS spot and underscored the organization’s commitment to developing the league.

“We’re not going anywhere,” he wrote. “This is my home and I personally love working directly on the LCS team.”

Cloud9 are the reigning LCS champions and one of the most successful teams in the league’s history, with six championship titles. (Only TSM, with seven, has more.)

At the recent MSI event in London, the team finished in 5th-6th place, beating LCS rivals Golden Guardians but falling short against the LPL’s Bilibili Gaming and the LCK’s Gen.G.

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About The Author

Luís was formerly Dexerto's Esports editor. Luís Mira graduated from ESCS in 2012 with a degree in journalism. A former reporter for HLTV.org, Goal and SkySports, he brought more than a decade of experience covering esports and traditional sports to Dexerto's editorial team.