With the CS2 competitive scene heating up, rumors have been flying about a possible Cloud9 return — but CEO Jack Etienne says not so fast.
Talks about Cloud9 eyeing a return to Counter-Strike picked up steam after French content creator Sebastien “KRL” Perez claimed that NAVI Junior could be sold off this offseason — possibly opening the door for C9 to jump back in. However, Etienne quickly poured cold water on the speculation.
Cloud9 has a long and storied relationship with Counter-Strike. From their early NA rosters to their peak at the ELEAGUE Boston Major 2018, where they became the first and only North American team to ever win a CS Major, the org has played a central role in shaping the scene.
But things have changed. After a rocky 2023 and a turbulent 2024 winter offseason, Cloud9 released most of its CS2 roster and quietly stepped away from the game.
Today, the org fields teams in six different games, including VALORANT, Call of Duty, and most recently, Rainbow Six Siege, where they’ve joined Ubisoft’s official partner program.
