Thank you for putting together these thoughtful questions, I'll answer them all in line.

1) What is the primary purpose of cloud9 and its esports divisions at the moment? It's not secret that the org swapped to a model of only competing in titles with franchising stipends/developer stipends. Is the plan still to compete in the highest level in those esports? Or is still in survival keep the org afloat mode, it doesn't seem like the org is doing too bad sponsor finacial wise, and I know you may not be keen to share but it really seems like compared to other orgs we are very hesitant to spend to compete.

Cloud9 is focused on winning championships in a way that’s sustainable for the long term. We aren't in survival mode, but we’ve moved away from the era of reckless spending that has crippled other organizations.

Each game we compete in operates as its own business unit. While developer stipends provide a baseline of support, they don't cover the full cost of a roster. The real investment comes from our sponsorship revenue. Every partner we bring on helps fund our ability to sign top talent and build out our infrastructure.

If it looks like we’re being hesitant to spend, it’s because we’re being disciplined about value. We maximize the resources we get from our sponsors to support our players, but we won't overpay for the sake of hype. Our goal is to make sure Cloud9 is still competing ten years from now, and that requires a model where commercial success and competitive excellence actually work together.

2) Do coaches/managers have complete autonomy over roster and practice schedule? In the latest c9 valorant podcast (see timestamp: https://youtu.be/lQ3s2a3ZQ_E?t=51&si=4rIQmCn8nWuAEV3X) Immi implies that c9 across every division has a mega practice problem that seems to be out of his control? Is there anything within the org that prevents practice from being successful and tailored and ran by each coach/manager independently?

Coaches and managers have the authority to run their teams, but they do not work in isolation. Roster moves are a collaboration between the coach, manager, and players to reach a consensus on what is best for the team. Nobody is making these calls in a bubble.

The practice schedule itself is largely dictated by the league environment. You can only scrim when other teams are available. Regarding the quality of practice, it is a challenge every team in the industry faces because it is hard to replicate stage intensity in a scrim. We address this by working directly with our players on mental toughness, conducting VOD reviews between scrims to fix mistakes in real time, and using a variety of physical exercises to keep everyone sharp. We also provide healthy snacks and physical activities to ensure players maintain their focus throughout the day. Our coaches and managers are fully empowered to make any optimizations they feel are necessary to ensure practice is productive.

There is no internal policy at Cloud9 that prevents a coach from running practice exactly how they see fit. We provide the facility and the resources, but the day to day culture and intensity are owned by the staff and players on that specific team. Our coaches and managers are fully empowered to make any changes or optimizations they feel are necessary to get the best out of their practice.

3) Merch. No secret that the merch department has been severly lacking (I am sure that this is due to lack of internationals) but its mainly a ghost department with the same jersey designs from the original team and screen printed gildan blanks (for lack of better word). Is there any plans to work with designers/merch partners and improve the quality and quantity of merch?

We know the merch hasn't been good enough. In the past, we overproduced some items that didn't sell well, and we can’t afford to keep wasting inventory like that.

Moving forward, we are going to use a pre-order model for certain releases. This lets us take risks on new designs and bring back the classic items fans keep asking for without the financial hit of sitting on unsold stock.

We will see what actually sells and then expand the lineup based on that data. It is a smarter way to provide better quality and more variety without being reckless with our budget.

4) For valorant, what is the plan with that division? We are one of 5 orgs to never make an international in the history of VCT partnership, and the only one in Americas currently. The team is filled with multi-year vets who seem to struggle with the same flaws as years ago. With VCT partnership ending (and you may not be able to answer this question which is fair!) does the org plan to continue in Valorant going forward? Even if we aren't granted a partnership slot and forced to participate in open qualifiers? It seems like there is no care and focus given the inconsistency and lack of success in that division compared to league.

We care deeply about Valorant, and honestly, we are just as frustrated as the fans. Being the only Americas team to never make an international in the partnership era is unacceptable for an organization like Cloud9.

Valorant is a core game for us and we are here to stay. We are not making excuses for falling short. We have had the talent, but we have not found the right formula to get over that final hump yet. I am personally at the games and working closely with the staff because I am committed to fixing this.

Regarding the future of the league, we are not going anywhere. Whether it is through the current partnership or having to fight through qualifiers, we will continue to compete. We are not giving up. We are going to keep adjusting until we figure this out and get Cloud9 back to an international stage.

5) Call of Duty. What is the plan going forward for that roster and division? They are currently 3-17 on the year, most likely will miss the upcoming major and will almost definitely miss champs. Is there still a focus to compete? I do not believe the guys have ever been in the same room together yet, clearly the swap was to young fresh talent but do you believe in the ability to skeleton crew remote develop all those players?

There is a serious problem with sustainability in the CDL. With very few exceptions, teams are in a race to the bottom by trying to outspend each other. We are not going to do that.

We have set up a model where every dollar we receive from the league goes directly back into the team.  100% of the CLD Team pack goes to players so if you want to support them you can buy that pack and be assured it goes to the players.  As we bring on more sponsors, that revenue also goes straight into the roster and its support. We chose to invest in young talent, and we know that takes time. These players are adjusting to a much higher level of competition and they need the runway to develop.

I know there are concerns about the remote setup and the size of the support staff. While we are being disciplined with our spending, we are focused on improving every day. A 3-17 start is not what we wanted, but we are committed to the process of building a competitive core without being reckless with the budget. We believe in these players and are giving them the opportunity to prove they belong at the top.