We signed William “Stunt” Chen as our starting support player for $58,000 ($53,000 base and $5,000 in bonuses). Follow him on Twitter: @MBRStunt.

Bao Lam, General Manager:

“Team synergy is incredibly important to a team’s success and we decided to make a change in the support position to see if it would improve our team dynamic. After only a couple of days with the team, we saw a noticeable difference when comparing William to other supports that we tried out. Our team was already doing very well in scrims and after making the change, we expect our performance to continue and take sets off LCS teams.”

William Chen, Player:

“Just a week ago, I was invited by Ember to try out in person for a few days. At the time, I had just qualified for NACS with Astral Authority, but I was still a free agent and wanted to at least explore offers. The first thing I noticed about Ember was the level of infrastructure. On top of having an office separate from the gaming house and a dedicated coaching staff, there is physical and mental training in the morning. On Challenger teams I have been on in the past, we were only united by the desire to win and teammates were barely on friendly terms. On Ember, I feel a camaraderie between teammates that transcends the game. Most importantly, I feel respected as a player. Having teammates who trust me motivates me to play my best and improve. I’m looking forward to playing this split with Ember.”

2. We moved Nicolas “Gleeb” Haddad to a substitute player position.

Bao Lam, General Manager:

“Nick was tremendously helpful in the formation and the growth of the roster, being one of the first members that we signed to the team. He brought a high level of dedication and motivation to our team environment and we appreciate all his contributions to Ember. He will still be on the team as a substitute player while he searches for other opportunities.”

Nicholas Haddad, Player:

“I’d like to say thanks to Ember, specifically Jon and Bao, for the opportunity they presented me. Despite Ember deciding to start Stunt in NACS, getting to work with their staff and players was not only enjoyable, but also beneficial for my growth as a player. I’ll still be with the team as a substitute while I search for other opportunities elsewhere, be it playing, doing analysis work, coaching, or attending university in the fall.”

3. We hired Rohit “CurryshotGG” Nathani as our strategic coach. Follow him on Twitter: @MBRCurryshotGG

Bao Lam, General Manager:

“We held extensive tryouts to find the the right strategic coach to guide our team’s League of Legends strategy. Rohit has a proven track record of guiding teams to a high level of success by having a team in the promotion tournament in the past two splits. Rohit has never been with a team for a full season. We believe giving him the opportunity to be there from the beginning will push him to the next level.”

Rohit Nathani, Strategic Coach:

“I joined Ember because our goals and interests aligned. Transparency and giving our regional players a chance to prove themselves has always been something that I have believed in. Ember also promotes equality, which motivates everyone to win.”

4. We hired Christie “Lustless” Tang as our player development coordinator. Follow her on Twitter: @MBRLustless.

Jonathan Pan, CEO:

“Christie sure got our attention when she sent us an eight-page proposal on a player development program based on training attention, mental toughness, practicing mindfulness, controlling startle responses, and more. Armed with a BA in Psychology from Boston University, Christie will play a critical role in crafting, executing, and evaluating the Ember Player Development Program.”

Christie, Player Development Coordinator:

“Gaming has become a part of my identity because it has been a part of my life ever since I was a kid. Having a job which combines all my skills and passions — psychology, gaming, and design — has always been a dream of mine. I joined Ember because positivity and transparency are important values to me and those are values that everyone at Ember shares with me. I have a lot of ideas based on empirical findings on how to improve players’ mental toughness, and I’m so excited to show what I can do.”

5. We hired Brendan “mcscrag” McGee as our analyst.

Brendan McGee, Analyst:

“YA BOI Brendan McGee here to tear it up off the rift. I’m the Rick Rubin to your Shawn Carter, the El-P to your Killer Mike, the Dr. Dre to your Kendrick, bringing you that behind the scenes production VALUE.”

Rohit Nathani, Strategic Coach:

“…”

6. We have designated Colin “Solo” Earnest as the team captain

Bao Lam, General Manager:

“The captain designation in sports has been traditionally reserved for those who lead on and off the field. We designated Colin as the captain of the team because he has demonstrated outstanding leadership.”

Colin Earnest, Player & Team Captain: