After failing to break into the upper echelons of the 2024 VCT Americas Kickoff, Cloud9 is making a couple of big changes to its VALORANT roster before the start of the first split.
The storied organization has signed former Luminosity Gaming player Kaleb “moose” Jayne and Dylan “runi” Cade as replacements for Jake “jakee” Anderson and Maxim “wippie” Shepelev. The former will be making their first stint with C9, while the latter will return to the roster after leaving the team at the end of 2023.
The two players will be joining a trio of talented superstars, including budding star prospect Francis “OXY” Hoang and longtime C9 member Erick “Xeppaa” Bach. The roster will be spearheaded by veteran in-game leader Anthony “Vanity” Malaspina, who has plenty of experience across teams like Version1, Shopify Rebellion, and his time as a CS:GO pro.
This isn’t the first time that Cloud9 has made quick decisions when it comes to its VALORANT roster. In 2023, for example, the team made some major moves when it dropped superstar Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker after only five short months, while also dropping Vanity in the coming days afterward.
Ironically, Vanity has now taken back the reigns as the organization continues to tinker with its lineup before the first split of the 2024 VCT Americas, where they’ll be taking on some of the best teams in the region. Their group includes the defending VCT Masters champions Sentinels, along with other powerhouses like NRG and G2 Esports.
This new team will have to find its groove and build synergy as quickly as possible if it wishes to attend the next international tournament of the year.
