Enemy · @EnemyGG
1st Mar 2017 from TwitLonger
A Farewell to Enemy
Hey guys! I know we've been tweeting cryptic gibberish for weeks on end now and we've been promising a more detailed statement for a couple days -- well, here we are.
As of today, Enemy as a brand is closing its doors (with the exception of in-game content we still have in various games -- last chance to grab that Bacchus skin!). This isn't, on the other hand, the same kind of bankruptcy-oriented shutdown a few other known orgs have gone through; it's good news, if a bit bittersweet.
Dan (@thisisclerkie) and I (@NMEChachi) originally launched Enemy from our college dorm with the primary intent of proving we could win on a budget, in order to earn our management positions with future esports investors that could provide us the tools to compete with older brands and larger fanbases (to win in pro leagues, not just make it into them). It was a success. By this point, through all of the late nights, all of the struggle months, all of the painful conversations and decisions, we and our players have certainly proven that. We knew we'd eventually get those tools, but hoped for years that they'd be given in the form of investment into Enemy; we love the brand and know it has a lot of potential. There were even times where such a revitalization probably could have happened, but Dan and I weren't there personally to make sure the capital went where it should have. In the end, those opportunities came along, but it meant we had to move all our people, business and expertise to a new brand, and leave Enemy and the Minion behind.
That new brand, as everyone who's been watching our personal Twitters has correctly guessed, is eUnited (@eUnitedgg). The organization has been on a meteoric rise since launching a bit under a year ago and giving our team development system the capital it needed to thrive, and is now poised to help us return to LCS the hard way (and hopefully enter ELeague soon, too). Our console base is strong as well, with Gears and CoD teams at the top of their titles playing against (and beating) the very type of organizations we once requested funding to compete with. We plan to pursue a slot in the Overwatch League and focus on grassroots / collegiate expansion. We're also bringing our most successful Enemy team -- Smite -- with us to the new brand. But the biggest boon to our advancement is easily eUnited's owners, Adam and Jamie, who've come about as close to our ideal mold for an esports investor as it gets -- well-grounded, committed long-term, and most of all, engaged in the competition.
No matter what that means for our future, we're faced right now with the reality that it's time to say goodbye to Enemy. It's been a good run and a fun learning experience, from our start stuffing "The Cackson 5" into Hadaka and Otter's dinky San Diego apartment and being sponsored by West Coast Chill, to the heights of our exposure on qualifying for LCS and making Smite world finals, to the depths of our financial struggles in late 2015. As players, managers, sponsors, owners and strategy changed, though, the ones who've always been there are our fans, and so this goes out to you guys. Whether we've been losing, winning, having a slow week or being slammed, you guys have been there the whole time, and Dan and I would certainly love for you to follow us and our players to eUnited. The competition will still be intense. The memes will only improve in quality. The brand may be different, but the vision and attitude will be the same.
I'd also like to give a shout to some of the industry veterans who've had our backs on some of our disputes in the past and some of the guys who've been great to work with -- Bryce Blum, Snoopeh, Odee, Montecristo, Richard Lewis, Steve Arhancet, and many more.
Enemy is our monument. It is a testament that hard work pays off. We've come a long way from our dorm room 4 years ago. To all those who want to become young esports owners, this serves as a beacon of possibility. There will be a lot of struggles, there will be a lot of times where it seems to be the end, but don’t give up. The entire outlook for you and your company can change in the span of a week; just keep moving forward.
#NMEWin ---> #StandUnited