Cloud9 signed 13-year-old League of Legends streamer Rayan ‘General Sniper’ Shoura only to terminate his contract after a few hours.
Cloud9 neglected the rules set by the League Of Legends Championship Series which forbid any organization to hand out contracts to players under 15. Cloud9 are bounded by the LCS rules given the fact that they are competing in it.
Cloud9 were aware but misinterpreted the rule as they only intended to sign the 13-year-old as a streamer/entertainer, however, the rule remains unchanged for either streamers or professional players.
A heartbroken General Sniper expressed himself on Twitter, as joining as an organization as prestigious as Cloud9 is a dream for many.
The rules we received were specific about not contracting the services of anyone under 15 as a pro player, which we didn’t do. We were informed after our announcement that what the rules intended are to bar hiring of any person below the age of 15 for any reason.
Jack Etienne
General Sniper garnered his reputation after reaching Challenger in ranked League of Legends as well as winning the Twitch Rivals showdown with Tyler ‘Tyler1’ Steinkamp.
The deal concluded in a disappointment for the player, org, and the fans as well. One important takeaway being Etienne’s promise to figure out a way for Cloud9 and General Sniper to work together in the future, hopefully when later turns 15.
