According to fans and experts, Cloud9's Russian superteam has so far failed to live up to its billing.
It started brightly with a quarter-finals appearance at IEM Cologne without star rifler Ax1Le, but subsequent results have failed even to come close to the expectations of a team that, on paper, looks like it could dominate the Counter-Strike world.
As struggles continued, winning BLAST Premier Fall Showdown became the sole success of the team, and now they will enter BLAST Premier Fall Final without their most significant player, sh1ro.
The AWPer has stepped down from the team and been placed on the transfer list, and in his place, the organisation has signed former NAVI IGL Boombl4.
The move has created an unorthodox roster without a dedicated AWPer. But we're now in the CS2 era, and the move for Boombl4 could be why Cloud9 becomes the team to beat at Fall Final.
"In the short term, it is possible to win without a pure dedicated AWPer. The game is still in a transition phase, the meta isn’t solidified. I do not think this will be a viable path to follow for the months to come but in Copenhagen, we should be ready for everything," Maniac
Subsequent updates have helped AWPers, but changes to how scopes work and the peeker's advantage in CS2 has seen players who use the big green suffer at big events so far.
At IEM Sydney, the first CS2 event, just two of the 15 highest-rated players at the event were AWPers. One of those, broky, won the event, and the other was m0NESY.
Compare this to the final event of CS:GO, ESL Pro League Season 18, and the number of AWPers in the top 15 at the event rises to seven. That's a clear and noticeable difference.
Maniac tells BLAST.tv that "losing a player of sh1ro’s calibre obviously hurts C9", but is quick to add that "the aggression and the risk-taking that Boombl4 brings will allow other players to shine brighter indirectly".
This could especially be true for Ax1Le and HObbit, who have both seen their ratings fall dramatically since the arrivals of electroNic and Perfecto.
Getting more out of their stars will be paramount now that sh1ro has departed, but none of this is to say the Boombl4 can't be a dangerous force of his own.
An aggressive player, the aforementioned peeker's advantage will certainly act in Boombl4's favour. Aggressive riflers have fared well so far in CS2, and the addition of a naturally aggressive and selfish player can only benefit Cloud9, it is something they were lacking previously.
Even outside of statistical impact, Boombl4 has a lot to offer the team. Once anointed as Zeus's successor on NAVI, he would go on to win a Major and an Intel Grand Slam at the helm of the Ukrainian organisation, a period of success unlike anything the organisation saw before or after his time with them.
Leadership has been a problem so far in Cloud9. groove and electroNic have both commented on the matter, and the issue had a Band-Aid placed over it as HObbit transitioned into the role.
H0bbit is a decent enough in-game leader, but it isn't natural for him. It was a change that always felt like it could only be a short-term solution. On the other hand, Boombl4 has a wealth of experience, and his inclusion in the team could easily see their fortunes turned around.
"Boombl4 frees up both Hobbit and electroNic to focus on their individual contribution more. I am not sure whether he will take over IGL duties in the short-term but it would make sense to trust him in that role. After all, he has had winning experiences alongside Perfecto and electroNic in his career," Maniac tells BLAST.tv.
Without an AWPer in their team, Cloud9 come into Fall Final as one of its most intriguing properties. A team bursting with rifle talent, they have enough star power to negate the need for an AWP, and now that they have a true leader on their team, it might be the time for them to take over just like they promised they would.
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