Who is Sneaky?
Zachary Scuderi was born on 19 March 1994, in Winter Springs, Florida, USA, and is a streamer as well as a professional gamer, best known for his presence in the competitive “League of Legends” scene as a member of the team Cloud 9 (C9). He is also known for his cosplays, which often involve a cross-dressing as of popular female characters from “League of Legends”, a practice also known as crossplay.
The Riches of Sneaky
As of early-2020, Sneaky’s net worth is estimated to be over $3 million, earned largely through a successful career in professional gaming.
He’s earned significant income from his wins in “League of Legends” tournaments, as well as from his work in Cloud 9, and the money he earns from streaming on Twitch.
Early Life in Gaming
Sneaky grew up in Winter Springs, and at a young age was already very interested in competitive gaming. He played numerous games, and he was first active with the massively multi-player online role-playing game (MMORPG) “World of Warcraft” as a part of the 2v2 competitive scene during the sixth season. He often played, but had to manage school work as well.
Eventually his attention shifted to Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas, or MOBAs. These types of games often feature two teams battling against each other, often for a specific goal within the space of a confined arena.
These types of games are often considered very strategic, skill-based, and take some time to master. He initially played “Heroes of Newerth”, also “Defense of the Ancients” (DOTA).
Professional League of Legends
After matriculating from high school, he enrolled at Florida Atlantic University, where he took up a degree in Computer Science. During college, Sneaky began playing the MOBA “League of Legends” consistently. The game which was released in 2009 was made using former developers of “DOTA”, and featured some similarities. In the game, players take on the role of summoners who control champions selected from a large pool of characters.
A team of five then takes on another, with the goal of destroying the team’s enemy base, mainly its large central structure called the Nexus. Since its launch, “League of Legends” has become a worldwide phenomenon, and one of the most popular games of the 2010s. The game has spawned numerous media and has even sponsored large scale events.
“League of Legends” placed a strong emphasis on its competitive scene, with consistent updates to the game helping to promote its competitive quality. It also built a large world filled with lore, which they would later expand on through other related video games.
Its owner Riot Games, helped create the competitive scene through the League Championship Series (LCS) which held tournaments in the US. Other tournaments were later created in other parts of the world such as Europe, South Korea and China. Over the years, Sneaky consistently performed as one of the top players of the public ladder, leading him to be scouted by aspiring professional teams.
Joining Cloud 9
A year in college, Sneaky decided to drop out of school to focus fully on competitive gaming, first joining the team Ordinance Gaming in a carry (damage dealer) role. Over the years, he shifted to several teams before landing with Quantic Gaming, the team which would eventually be bought by Cloud 9.
Cloud 9 is a well-known name in the competitive scene, with teams in numerous video games spanning different genres. They are known for their presence in MOBAs and First Person Shooters (FPS).
The team started in “League of Legends”, and later expanded to other games following their success – some of their most successful efforts were in “Heroes of the Storm” and “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive”. As a part of Cloud 9, Sneaky built a reputation as one of the strongest carry-support duos with LemonNation, helping the team win many tournaments domestically. He made his debut with the team during the 2015 preseason, and helped the team qualify for the LCS, and they finished the season in second place behind Team Solo Mid (TSM).
The Many Successes and Failures
Following a change in their roster, Cloud 9 struggled through the remainder of the year before eventually improving their results in the latter-half, leading them to qualify as the third seed in the year’s World Championship, with Sneaky given a Most Valuable Player accolade for helping the team get there. They surprised everyone with an undefeated first week, and reached the quarterfinals where they were eliminated. They didn’t qualify during the 2016 season, and the following year they made adjustments that affected their win rate positively, giving them the lead in North America. They qualified for the world championships, but lost again in the quarterfinal.
After a poor showing during the start of the 2018 season, Sneaky was benched along with other players in favor of substitutes, which did not fare well for Cloud 9. He was reinstated during the latter half, and helped the team qualify for the world championships once more, where they finally broke through and became the first North American team to reach the top four at the Worlds. His performance led him to be voted into the all-star event.
After a poor showing in 2019, Sneaky announced that he would be focusing on streaming, and has left the main roster of Cloud 9 though remaining with the company. He hasn’t yet retired, leading to speculation that he may return one day.
Personal Life
Sneaky has been in a relationship for two years with a woman known online as Esther Lynn. She makes a few appearances on his account, and is credited for helping him in his various crossplay endeavors. There was a bit of speculation regarding his sexuality due to his cross plays, but he confirmed that he is straight. He just does the cross plays as many of his fans enjoy it, and because he has the features to help him look like a female, and loves trolling people. His girlfriend helps him with his make-up.