Cloud9 is the first esports organization to receive a sponsorship from a branch of the U.S. military.
The U.S. Air Force, which entered into a multi-event partnership with ELEAGUE earlier today, has also partnered with Cloud9’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team. This content partnership will chronicle the team’s travels to different air force bases across the country. It will also see the Cloud9 team undertake sponsor activations at ELEAGUE events.
“Cloud9 is proud to create awareness of the Air Force for our amazing fan base,” Cloud9 CEO Jack Etienne wrote in a press release. “By developing a dynamic partnership with the Air Force, we will be able to deliver extraordinary content that will show fans a totally different side of the team.”
The video content will see the Cloud9 team interact with different units of the U.S. Air Force. The first installment will take place at the Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Georgia, where the team will get to interact with a top bomb disposal unit.
Cloud9’s CS:GO roster made history on Jan. 28 when they became the first North American team to win a Valve Major—the most prestigious tournament in the game’s competitive circuit. Since their Valve Major victory, however, two of the team’s star players—Jacky “Stewie2k” Yip and Tarik “tarik” Celik—have left the roster. Both of the former Cloud9 stars are now starters for the predominantly Brazilian MIBR roster.
The team’s first sponsor activiation for the U.S. Air Force will likely be the ELEAGUE CS:GO Premier, which starts on July 21.
