Cloud9 is parting ways with head coach Bok “Reapered” Han-gyu after over four years spent as the team’s head coach.Â
Reapered has been the brain behind several years of success at C9, taking the organization to four World Championship events. Reapered has been known for his innovative playstyle and his willingness to draft off-meta champions. This has been a key part of C9’s success both domestically and internationally.Â
Reapered will be leaving the team after a disappointing 2020 LCS Summer Split in which C9 didn’t manage to qualify for the 2020 World Championship, losing to Team SoloMid in the summer playoffs. This happened after a dominant spring split where C9 crushed all competition without hesitation. But with the Mid-Season Invitational canceled in 2020, Worlds was Cloud9’s only opportunity for international play, and the loss to TSM prevented the team from taking to that stage.
The shaky year leaves C9 out of Worlds contention for the first time since the organization formally entered the League of Legends scene. The disappointment among fans and experts was big considering how well the team did in the spring split. Many fans wanted to see C9’s roster face off with international competition, but it wasn’t to be.
C9 CEO Jack Etienne has said that the five players will remain on the team for next season, even though it will be without coach Reapered.Â
Reapered has only managed to win one LCS trophy with C9, but has always been able to push the team at the international stage. At the 2018 World Championship, C9 unexpectedly went all the way to the semifinals before being knocked out by Fnatic.Â
Reapered has a very specific influence on the C9 playstyle, so a new coach will have some big shoes to fill. It’s expected to see C9 play another way from the next season since very few coaches approach the game the same way Reapered does.Â
It’s not yet been made official who the new C9 head coach will be or where Reapered will end up going for the 2021 season.Â
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