Cloud9 star Sneaky reveals another revealing cosplay

Olivia Richman Published 06/02/2019

Zachary “Sneaky” Scuderi’s gender-bending cosplay has the League of Legends community afire.

The Cloud9 bot laner couldn’t wait until the summer to show off his latest Swimsuit Ahri cosplay on Twitter. The photos, which perfectly hid his bare bottom with a well-placed emoji, are among many available on Sneaky’s official Patreon.

Many of Sneaky’s League of Legends-inspired cosplays are available as signed and customized polaroids through his Patreon, which currently has over 1,300 patrons. Even if all the patrons signed up for the lowest tier offered at $2 per month, Sneaky would be making a minimum of $30,000 a year from cosplaying alone.

Sneaky has said that money from the Patreon will go towards new cosplay creations, which are all designed by his girlfriend and fellow cosplayer Esther Lynn. The pair commonly cosplay together, including in his most recent photo set where Sneaky dressed up as the K/DA version of Kai’Sa alongside Lynn’s K/DA Ahri.

The photoshoot was inspired by K/DA, the fictional K-pop group made up of League champions. Their song “Pop/Stars” debuted at the 2018 World Championship and has over 166 million views on YouTube.

While the male-dominated esports scene may seem like a difficult place for sharing such provocative and androgynous displays, Sneaky’s cosplays have continuously been supported by the community around him. The most buzzed moment from 2018 All-Stars was Sneaky and 100 Thieves’ Bae “Bang” Jun-sik coming out on stage in matching Xayah cosplays. This was a result of Bang promising to cosplay with Sneaky if both players were voted into the event.

Sneaky’s organization has also supported his cosplay, taking to social media and joining with his teammates in repeating the line, “You’re so hot, brother.”

Sneaky’s journey with cosplay debuted on his Twitch stream in 2016. Fans were rewarded with a simple school girl cosplay for reaching a donation goal. The positive response led to a new trend on his stream, and the cosplays became more detailed and dramatic each time.

Cosplay has always been an important part of the video game culture. Sneaky’s work inspires fans to feel confident in being true to themselves, while also perhaps making them question their sexuality.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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