Cloud9 has officially announced the departure of head coach Konstantin “groove” Pikiner and team manager Aleksandr “Sweetypotz” Shcherbakov, marking the organization’s exit from the professional Counter-Strike scene. The move comes after a series of roster changes, leaving the North American esports giant without an active CS roster.
Cloud9’s announcement
The organization made its decision public through a statement on X (formerly Twitter), confirming that it is stepping away from Counter-Strike for the foreseeable future. However, Cloud9 has not ruled out a potential return, stating that they “love CS and are always on the lookout for opportunities.”
Cloud9’s exit from CS comes after a turbulent period marked by multiple roster changes and underwhelming results. The team struggled to find consistent form following their ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful roster revamp in 2023.
A Disassembled Roster
With Cloud9 stepping away from the game, its former roster has been dismantled. Recent months saw a wave of player transfers:
- Kirill “Boombl4” Mikhailov – Signed by BetBoom.
- Sergey “Ax1Le” Rykhtorov – Also joined BetBoom.
- Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko – Moved to G2.
- Timofey “interz” Yakushin – Released from Cloud9.
- Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy – The only remaining player under contract.
Despite the roster shake-up, Perfecto remains on Cloud9’s payroll.
His high buyout clause appears to be one of the key obstacles preventing him from securing a new team, as organizations are hesitant to commit to a costly transfer in an uncertain market.
Cloud9’s History in Counter-Strike
Cloud9 has been one of North America’s most prominent names in CS history. From winning the ELEAGUE Major: Boston 2018, becoming the first and only North American team to secure a Major victory, to their more recent attempts at assembling an international powerhouse, the organization has been a staple of the scene.
However, its latest project, which featured CIS stars such as Ax1Le and Perfecto, never lived up to expectations. Following inconsistent results and internal challenges, Cloud9’s management decided to pull the plug on the project, mirroring the struggles faced by other NA-based organizations in maintaining a competitive presence in the evolving CS2 landscape.
