Cloud9 drops Dota 2 roster, pulling out of game for a fifth time

Steven Rondina Published 28/04/2020

Cloud9 is tapping out of Dota 2. Again.

The popular esports organization has released its Dota 2 team and has withdrawn from all scheduled events. This follows consistently poor results from its roster.

“It was great working with these players and I want to thank them for being professional throughout and buying into our vision and company values. We’re confident that success will follow them as their careers progress,” Cloud9 team manager Ysabel Noukky Müller said in a statement.

Cloud9 returned to Dota 2 just a few months ago with a new squad that was set to compete in the Southeast Asian region. The team failed to qualify for the ESL One Los Angeles Major, which resulted in a shakeup that saw the squad transition to North America and sign Jacky “EternaLEnVy” Mao and Jingjun “Sneyking” Wu to complete the roster:

1. Jacky “EternaLEnVy” Mao
2. Marcus “Ace” Hoelgaard
3. Jingjun “Sneyking” Wu
4. Rasmus “MISERY” Filipsen
5. Johan “pieliedie” Åström

None of the players have discussed the news on social media, and Cloud9 did not discuss whether it had any future plans in Dota 2.

Cloud9’s latest return to Dota 2 was disappointing

Though the roster was solid on paper and brought together a stable of proven veterans, the team was very poor in competitions. 

The squad debuted at DOTA Summit 12 and went winless, losing five series in 0-2 fashion. Those struggles didn’t cease in the following events, with Cloud9 posting similarly poor performances. Its final showing came in the BTS Pro Series: Americas league, which saw EternaLEnVy and Sneyking eliminated in fifth place by their former teammates.

It is unclear why Cloud9 fell so short of expectations. Though the team might have struggled based on its competing in online events with an international roster, its awful debut came at a live event.

Cloud9 was previously set to compete in Dota 2 BEAT Invitational Season 9, but has withdrawn from the event.

The entire Dota 2 scene is in an awkward spot right now, which has seen several organizations release or heavily shake up their teams. It also coincides with a mass exodus from Dota 2 by multi-game esports organizations, which has seen Chaos Esports Club, Furia Esports, and more withdraw from the title in quick succession.

Steven Rondina

About Steven Rondina

Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.

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