Flusha departs Cloud9 just as captain Golden returns

Cloud9 is making yet another roster change.

The former major championship team has been rocked by repeated issues over the past year. After the sudden hiatus of their in-game leader Maikil “Golden” Selim due to a heart condition, veteran Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player Robin “flusha” Rönnquist has departed from the team due to the sudden passing of his mother.

Flusha joined Cloud9 shortly after his removal from Fnatic’s active roster in September 2018. Despite Cloud9’s inconsistent form, Flusha was crucial to the team’s growing successes, boasting a team-high 1.07 rating.

The Swedish champion’s biggest achievements during his tenure in North America include a second-place finish at the ELEAGUE CS:GO Invitational 2019 and a third-place finish at BLAST Pro Series: Lisbon 2018.

The loss of Flusha comes as a significant blow to a Cloud9 team already struggling to maintain consistency in its roster. Ever since losing the core of North American players that drove the team to major glory in 2018, Cloud9 has failed to make a significant impact at CS:GO majors.

Apart from Flusha, up-and-coming North American player Jordan “Zellsis” Montemurro will also be departing the squad. Zellsis joined the team on a trial basis to fill the void created by Golden’s medical hiatus. He quickly established himself as one of North America’s brightest young talents during his short stay with Cloud9, but it wasn’t enough to earn himself a permanent spot on the roster.

The good news for Cloud9 fans is that in-game leader Golden will now be making his return to the active roster. Golden made an immediate impact on the team after joining Cloud9, and fans will hope that his health will now allow him to lead the team in the long term.

As it stands, Cloud 9 are left with an incomplete roster of four players. Many names have be mentioned as potential replacements for Flush. Finnish player Miikka "suNny" Kemppi, currently contracted to a Mousesports team also undergoing significant change, is the reported front runner.

No matter which direction Cloud9 choose to go, it’s certain that Golden and his teammates will have a long road ahead of them to return Cloud 9 to its former championship glory.