Cloud9 is Not Leaving VALORANT: CEO Confirms

Rumors have been swirling that Cloud9 is leaving VALORANT (and VCT Americas) for good, but CEO Jack Etienne just confirmed the org is here to stay. Let’s recap the situation and explore its context.

Rumors Swirl: Is Cloud9 Leaving VALORANT?

Cloud9 blazed onto the VALORANT scene as soon as it launched in 2020. The org carries history in the NA FPS world, winning the Counter-Strike ELEAGUE Boston Major in 2018. In the region, which tends to struggle in international competition, C9 stood out as a team that fans could really put weight behind and root for. It also gained repute for being star player Tyson ‘TenZ’ Ngo‘s first major contract in the Riot Games title: TenZ was perhaps the first VALORANT athlete to transcend from esports pro to internet celebrity status.

Six years later, Cloud9 is having a tougher season. The team is falling towards last place in VCT Americas 2026 competition, placing 11th/12th in Stage 1. Currently, they sit at an 0:3 statline in the Stage 2 Group Stage. In these B03 matches, C9 managed to take a round to Sentinels and LOUD, but G2 swept them completely. A Champions 2026 qualification is looking increasingly unlikely, especially because C9 is also up against powerhouse competitors like Champions 2025 winners NRG, Champions 2023 winners Evil Geniuses, and MIBR.

As the season continues, rumors are swirling that Cloud9 may leave competitive VALORANT behind entirely. Esports insider @RocketBullets, who has made several accurate predictions before, added fuel to the fire when they posted a cryptic X.com statement on August 2, 2026.

“Sources: Cloud9 to NOT continue in VALORANT,” the writing said. “They are reportedly pulling out of the new partnership program in 2027 and will not continue in the esport after Split 2 / Champions. Despite this, they still have 4 on-going contracts until 2028, two of which are their rookies.”

Rocket’s post quickly went viral, attracting nearly 200,000 views in just over 4 hours.

Cloud9 CEO Responds

An hour later, Cloud9 CEO and co-founder Jack Etienne replied to set the record straight. “You’ve got a bad source on this one,” he said. “Cloud9 is committed to VALORANT.”

Etienne has been involved with the organization since its start in the League of Legends world over 13 years ago. He also currently leads its operations, so it’s safe to say this statement comes from a pretty solid source.

In addition, Cloud9 has been actively investing in the VCT circuit this year. The org recently announced a brand-new Game Changers roster, showing they want to stay involved in the competition. It also has an Academy team and a Korean lineup.

Etienne’s reply brought out relief from Cloud9’s fans. However, netizens still said something needs to be done to fix the roster’s performance. User @easymoneydarien joked, “[Cloud9 is committed to VALORANT?] clearly not with the rosters y’all have put out over the years.” Others said the organization needs to ‘free oxy’, who has put up a respectable performance throughout the season despite the loss streak. Many have brought forward criticism towards the team’s coaching structure, especially former head coach Immi.

Just three days ago, C9 swapped Immi from Head Coach to Assistant coach, instead elevating Veer to the role. The team stated this move was directly “due to our disappointing results this year,” and said “the players and coaches have unanimously agreed to make changes to our coaching roles ahead of our superweek.”

User @skander_dh offered a more nuanced take:

“Bro revamp [the team]. Either keep oxy and build around him. Or release the poor guy.
You need a better mentality within the team, i feel like neither immi or the team takes this seriously.
Drop immi, first step.”

Stay tuned for more VALORANT esports and in-game news.