Cloud 9 HyperX picks up the ex-Speed Gaming.int team

This article was originally published on GameSpot's sister site onGamers.com, which was dedicated to esports coverage.

In a statement published on the Cloud 9 website today confirmed that they have acquired the Dota 2 team formerly known as Speed Gaming.int. The news comes shortly after the team broke away from their old manager Marco Fernandez towards the end of last year who was acting on behalf of the Rattlesnake organisation under the Speed Gaming name after multiple issues arose within the management of the team and their sponsorship.

We are proud to announce that the DotA 2 team formerly known as Speed Gaming has joined the Cloud 9 HyperX family!

Formed in September 2013 under the RattleSnake organization and renamed to Speed Gaming shortly after, this talented team is already well established in the DotA 2 scene.

They attended MLG Columbus in November 2013, where they advanced from the group stage with a 5-3 record. From here they beat Sigma.int 2-0 in the Semi finals before winning 2-1 vs the legendary team DK to take home 1st place!

Cloud 9 HyperX Roster - http://cloud9.gg/dota-2-int/

1. Jacky 'EternaLEnVy' Mao
2. Weh Sing 'SingSing' Yuen
3. Pittner 'bOne7' Armand
4. Kurtis 'Aui_2000' Ling
5. Johan 'pieliedie' Åström
6. Jack Etienne - General Manager

Interview With Jack Etienne

onGamers caught up with Jack Etienne the owner and manager of the Cloud 9 organisation for a short interview to help shed some light on his plans for Dota 2 and the future of his newly acquired team.

onGamers: Hi Jack, thanks for taking your time to sit down with us. Firstly I just wanted to say welcome to the Dota 2 scene.

Jack Etienne: Thank you! I'm really excited to be joining it.

onGamers: How long has Cloud 9 been looking to pick up a team within the Dota 2 scene?

Jack Etienne: I've been looking for a team for months now and was considering this team back when they were Kaipi. I've been really impressed with DOTA2's growth over the last year.

onGamers: Now that you have a Dota 2 team, what are your plans looking forward, are you considering putting them together in a gaming house?

Jack Etienne: It's something we've talked about but we've not made any decisions yet. In general I favor a game house as in my experience with Cloud 9 and previously with Team SoloMid I found that living together greatly increased the communication of the team.

onGamers: With yourselves being an NA based organisation do you think you would be flexible with the team staying in Europe seeing as the majority of Dota 2 tournaments still occur on that side of the world?

Jack Etienne: Yes, I've already picked up two teams based in EU and would be happy with the team residing in EU. But we're not there yet as we're not sure we will even get a game house. I'm open to it though if we go that direction.

onGamers: The team has faced a number of well documented issues in the past with their ex-manager/organisation, is this something you feel that a lot of teams can fall into the trap of within Esports?

Jack Etienne: I think it’s unfortunate that several teams are having management issues. I think over all though that I'm seeing higher quality organizations getting into Esports and I'm hopeful we will see less of these issues in the future.

onGamers: During and after MLG Columbus the team was being helped and managed by Charlie Yang, has there been any discussion about bringing Charlie on board to help look after the team or is that something you will now take over yourself?

Jack Etienne: Charlie is a great guy that I've spent quite a bit of time speaking with. He helped negotiate much of my agreement with the team so I really appreciate the guy. Charlie and I plan to meet this week to discuss how we can work together going forward.

onGamers: Before we let you go is there anything you would like to say to the Dota 2 scene?

Jack Etienne: I'm really thankful for the positive feedback we've been getting since we announced C9 is joining the Dota 2 scene. It’s an exciting time for us, we’re going to work hard to earn the warm welcome we've been given.

onGamers: Thanks for your time Jack, we wish you the best of luck with your new Dota 2 team.