Cloud9 adds CSGO stars Perfecto and electroNic to roster

Olivia Richman Published 14/07/2023

Cloud9 has just signed superstar Counter-Strike: Global Offensive duo Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy and Denis “electroNic” Sharipov.

Ahead of Counter-Strike 2, Cloud9 has decided to shake up its entire Counter-Strike roster. Iconic players Perfecto and electroNic have joined the roster, and IGL Vladislav “nafany” Gorshkov and Timur “buster” Tulepov are out. This comes after Cloud9 had a few underwhelming performances lately.

Cloud9 shakes up CSGO roster

The decision was first announced during a Stratus round-table where CEO Jack Etienne only mentioned Dmitriy “sh1ro” Sokolov, Abai “HObbit” Hasenov, and Sergey “Ax1Le” Rykhtorov’s extended contracts. Etienne noted at the time that he wanted to get players into long-term contracts ahead of CS2’s launch.

This roster change doesn’t come as a surprise after Cloud9 failed to qualify for the BLAST.tv Paris Major. But fans are excited to see that it’s Perfecto and electroNic that are tasked with improving the iconic org’s performance this season.

Both players are popular for competing with Natus Vincere. electroNic joined Na’Vi back in 2017 and has played with perfecto for quite some time, so it will be interesting to see how they mesh with the rest of the team come July 29, the start of IEM Cologne.

Cloud9 CSGO roster

Here is the full CSGO lineup after the change:

• Dmitriy “sh1ro” Sokolov
• Sergey “Ax1Le” Rykhtorov
• Abai “HObbit” Hasenov
• Denis “electroNic” Sharipov
• Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy

Meanwhile, Na’Vi is rumored to be looking into a fully English-speaking lineup. The team underperformed last season as well, leaving the org debating what direction to go in. And it’s looking like Na’Vi may be doubting the Ukrainian scene.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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