FlyQuest: a League of Legends team is inspiring others to do good

On a typical game day, the area outside of Riot’s Los Angeles studio, which plays host to the League of Legends Championship Series, is usually full of fans. Each of the 10 teams in the league has an outdoor booth area, where visitors can buy jerseys and other gear, or snap a photo with their favorite player. There’s elaborate cosplay and co-ordinated team chants. Amidst this scene, FlyQuest’s booth stands out.

There you’ll find fans, players, and even the CEO practicing the Japanese art of flower arrangement known as ikebana. It’s just one element of a new team initiative dubbed “go green,” which is the esports club’s attempt to use its platform to bring attention to larger issues. “It represents so much of what is important to us,” says FlyQuest CEO Tricia “megumixbear” Sugita. Flowers aren’t something you typically see in the esports space.

Teams and players usually present an aggressive image; there are lots of photo shoots with crossed arms and flexing biceps, with jerseys full of ads for energy drinks and pro gaming gear. Squads either present themselves as something akin to a traditional sports team, or a streetwear brand, or someplace inbetween. FlyQuest looks like neither. The team’s kits are clean, white long-sleeve shirts with hand-painted purple flowers rising up from the bottom.

There are even a few sprouts on the FlyQuest logo on the chest. This kind of image is exactly what Sugita had in mind when she took over as CEO this year. Her first task was figuring out what she wanted the team, which was founded back in 2017 and is owned by Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Wes Edens, to stand for. “It all starts with our why,” she explains.

“What is our purpose? What is it we want to stand for? That’s what gives you direction.

“” Her own personal interest in environmental issues was the driving force behind the go green tagline, which manifests itself in a few ways.”

There are the jerseys and the ikebana displays, but also more proactive initiatives that involve raising money to save wild sea turtles, and a plan to plant trees based on in-game performance. Every time FlyQuest gets a win, for instance, the team has pledged to plant 100 trees. (Sugita says the team is also trying to cut back on waste at its headquarters, by eliminating single-use plastic bottles and using plant-based cups, among other things. ) It’s a branding exercise, sure, but it’s also one that is already having an impact on the culture of the league, just three weeks into the season.