by Cloud9 has announced the hiring of former FlyQuest CEO Michael Choi as its new Chief Product Officer. The move comes as Cloud9 looks to further expand and grow its brand, both within the esports industry and beyond.
The North American franchise made the announcement via a statement on its official website.
“Cloud9 is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Choi as Chief Product Officer,” the statement read.
“Michael joins us with over four years of experience at FlyQuest, where he last served as CEO. Michael brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of brand-building to Cloud9. In this newly created role, Michael will be responsible for driving Cloud9’s product vision, strategy, and roadmap.”
Choi joins Cloud9 on the back of a three-year stint with FlyQuest, which closely to its end saw him attain the CEO role of the franchise for six months (June – December 2022). He will be reunited with Tricia Sugita at Cloud9, who joined the franchise in June 2022 as Chief Marketing Officer after leaving her position as FlyQuest CEO. In December, the franchise announced his departure and the appointment of Brian Anderson, formerly of Beastcoast, as its new CEO.
The Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Cloud9, Jack Etienne commented on the appointment of Choi. He expressed the franchise’s excitement in his recruitment as he looks forward to the team benefiting from his contributions.
“Michael is a highly experienced leader with a deep understanding of esports and the product development landscape,” Etienne said.
“We are thrilled to welcome him to the Cloud9 team and look forward to the contributions and innovative solutions that he will bring to our products and fans.”
Choi brings a wealth of experience to Cloud9, having spent the last several years at the helm of FlyQuest, a successful esports franchise in its own right. During his tenure as CEO, Choi helped lead FlyQuest to multiple competitive successes and played a key role in the team’s overall growth and expansion.
In his new role at Cloud9, Choi will be responsible for driving the team’s product strategy and development, as well as overseeing the team’s overall operations. He will be working closely with Cloud9’s leadership team to ensure the franchise continues to innovate and stay ahead of the curve in an increasingly competitive industry.
Choi expressed his excitement about his new role in an acceptance statement. He also revealed that he was a “diehard fan” of C9, describing the franchise as the standard of what an esports franchise should look like.
“Cloud9 is the prime example of how I view an esports organization – good people, proper brand, and most importantly, winning,” Choi said.
“As a fellow diehard fan of both esports and C9, I am excited about the opportunity to create some really cool things for the community.”
The hiring of Choi is the latest in a series of moves by Cloud9 to strengthen its leadership team and position itself as a leader in the esports industry. In recent months, the franchise has made a number of strategic hires and investments, including the acquisition of a number of top-tier teams and the establishment of a new training facility in Los Angeles.
In addition to its recent hires, Cloud9 has made a foray into the cryptocurrency and blockchain industries. The company has entered into a partnership with BC.GAME, a crypto casino, and has also teamed up with blockchain games Guild of Guardians and Axie Infinity: Origins.
As featured by most blockchain games, Axie Infinity operates on a play-to-earn model that allows players to earn money by playing games. In line with its partnership, the game is connected to Cloud9’s Stratus membership program.
Cloud9 recently terminated its relationship with its all-female VALORANT roster as part of its expansion efforts. In addition to its presence in multiple titles such as CS:GO, League of Legends, and Overwatch, the team also owns the London Spitfire franchise.
With Choi on board as Chief Product Officer, Cloud9 hopes to continue its growth and success in the years ahead. As the esports industry continues to evolve and expand, the franchise’s strong leadership and innovative approach will no doubt be key to its continued success.
