In a recent stream with 100 Thieves content creator Spencer ‘Hiko’ Martin, esports consultant Rod ‘Slasher’ Breslau claimed that Cloud9 took G2 Esports’ spot in the VCT Americas league.
In a stream in which the two played Valorant together, Slasher alleged that Cloud9 was the last team to make it into the VCT partner league in the Americas region. According to him, the North American organization replaced G2 Esports, who were reportedly denied a spot in the league after former CEO Carlos Rodríguez posted a video of himself partying with Andrew Tate.
In the days following the release of the video, it was reported that G2 had lost its slot in the league because of the video and the ensuing fallout. Carlos was then put on unpaid leave by G2 Esports before eventually stepped down from his position. He was also suspended by Riot Games for a breach of the LEC’s code of conduct.
“I found out that Cloud9 was actually the final team on the bubble,” Slasher said. “A very good source tells me that Cloud9 replaced G2, not Evil Geniuses. EG was already in.
“That’s when Carlos screwed up and Cloud9 got in.”
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Slasher added that he doesn’t know why Cloud9 were not initially in the VCT Americas league. The Los Angeles-based organization is reportedly on the brink of signing Valorant superstar Jaccob ‘yay’ Whiteaker from OpTic Gaming, who were not selected as a partner.
Cloud9 were not initially in the league
Cloud9 has a storied history with Riot Games. The organization has been a part of the League of Legends’ LCS since 2013, when they qualified for the league after buying the former Quantic Gaming roster.
Cloud9 was also one of the first North American organizations to enter Valorant, with the team qualifying for the 2021 edition of Valorant Champions. Cloud9 also has the best Game Changers roster in the region in Cloud9 White.
Cloud9 are one of the five US-based organizations in the VCT Americas league, along with NRG, Sentinels, 100 Thieves, and Evil Geniuses. Their new Valorant roster will make its debut at the VCT 2023 Kickoff tournament in Brazil in February.