Boombl4 returns to CS2 with Cloud9, reunites Na’Vi core

William Davis Published 02/11/2023

Cloud9 has a new CS2 captain in Kirill “Boombl4” Mikhaylov, a controversial player whose return is sparking even more discussion.

Counter-Strike fans were expecting some shock comebacks with the release of CS2, and while news has been mostly quiet, one fan-favorite has returned to the peak of the game. Former Natus Vincere in-game leader and Stockholm Major champion Boombl4 has officially joined Cloud9, marking a return to the highest tier of competitive play. .

The roster move was announced through Cloud9’s official social media channels on November 2, 2023. The former Na’Vi shot-caller was already standing in for the team at Thunderpick World Championship 2023. Even so, an official signing mid-tournament is a pleasant surprise for fans of Big Boom. 

It’s worth noting that Boombl4 was already playing competitive CS2 with 1WIN, which saw its own fair share of success in the tier two scene. The squad earned championships at multiple CCT events and earned over $250,000 in prize money through 2023 so far. However, the team has yet to breach into the top tier, which makes Boombl4’s move to Cloud9 more understandable.

Boombl4 is one of the most controversial players in the late era of Global Offensive, with his mixture of ultra-aggressive in-game tactics and out-of-game scandals both contributing to a polarizing reputation. Most famously, his then-wife issued statements supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine, which ultimately led to his departure from Na’Vi. He then briefly pursued a rap career before turning to competitive CS.

Boombl4 on Cloud9 is a Na’Vi Stockholm Major reunion

In addition to bolstering Cloud9’s chances at the top level, the addition of Boombl4 also brings together the majority of the Na’Vi roster that won the Stockholm Major in 2021.

The duo of Denis “electroNic” Sharipov and Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy left Natus Vincere during the team’s rebuild in June of this year. The pair joined Cloud9 less than a week later. With Boombl4 joining, the majority of the champion squad has reunited. It’s highly unlikely that Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev and Valerij “b1t” Vakhovsjkyj will follow suit, but if they do, they might as well bring in coach Andrij “B1ad3” Ghorodensjkyj to finish the deal.

Read Also

News

The Esports Nations Cup Has Been Postponed to November 2027 Ben Boland The 2026 Esports Nations Cup has been suspended until 2027. The Esports Foundation announced the delay on August 18, citing ongoing regional uncertainty. The inaugural competition was scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, comprising over 100 national teams and featuring 16 different games, including League of Legends. According to the Esports Foundation, this decision follows ongoing developments in the region and consultation with key stakeholders. Moving the event ...

Esports Betting

MLBB is the most-watched game from the EWC, and it’s hard to see another game beating it Michael Hassall The Esports World Cup 2026 has officially passed its midway point and viewership figures for the tournament have surpassed many expectations so far, as per Esports Charts. The viewership tracking site revealed new statistics for the event on Aug. 6, showcasing just how many games had set new records in viewership, including one name leading the way in views: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. MLBB leads the viewership charts with the ...

Counter-Strike

CS2 at the EWC 2026 Preview: Odds, Details, Predictions and More Owen Harsono Top-tier Counter-Strike action returns at the Esports World Cup, as 32 of the best teams will take the trip to Paris to compete for millions of dollars. If you’re looking to watch the event, here’s everything you need to know and which teams to keep an eye on. The Esports World Cup is one of the largest CS2 events if we’re looking at prize pools, as $2,000,000 will be distributed ...

News

Opinion: Is Esports Tracing the Same Evolutionary Path As Traditional Sports? Cecilia Ciocchetti What happens when an industry compresses centuries of sporting evolution into less than a decade or two? Communities become global audiences overnight, rivalries spread through social media within minutes, and tournaments turn into entertainment products faster than ever before. And so what took traditional sports centuries to build has taken esports a fraction of that. From local communities to sold out arenas, and from informal matches to Olympic-style events, the ...

Counter-Strike

BLAST Bounty 2026 semi-final predictions: who’s making it to the grand final? Owen Harsono The top four teams we’re seeing at the BLAST Bounty 2026 semi-finals are far from what anyone would expect before the tournament began, but here we are. We’re only three matches from crowning a winner, so let’s take a look at the best BLAST Bounty semi-final predictions for both upcoming matchups. Starting the semi-finals off is a banger of a series between FaZe Clan and Team Spirit, which is one ...

Counter-Strike

We Ranked The Top 5 Most Hated CS2 Maps Owen Harsono If you’re a Counter-Strike player, you probably have that one map you always ban first in every Premier game — and you're not alone as almost everyone has one too. Below, we’ll take a look at the most hated maps in Counter-Strike history and explain why they are disliked by the community at large. Anubis is one of the newer releases in the Counter-Strike 2 map pool, but it has ...

Counter-Strike

The Top 10 Best Clutches in Counter-Strike History Ranked Owen Harsono Pulling off an impossible clutch is one of the greatest hits of dopamine any Counter-Strike 2 player can ever feel. However, pulling them off at the highest level can be a little tricky since everyone is so coordinated. That’s exactly why mind-blowing clutches are remembered forever. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and look at the 10 best clutches in Counter-Strike history. We’re opening the list with former mousesports ...