Cloud9 reveals star studded Valorant roster ahead of VCT 2023

Cloud9, a North American esports group, has secured a couple of monumental signings for their Valorant roster. To complete their lineup for the VCT 2023 season, C9 has officially signed NA talents Jaccob "yay" Whiteaker and Jordan "Zellsis" Montemurro.

The superstars will join an already formidable C9 lineup that includes Anthony "vanity" Malaspina, Nathan "leaf" Orf, and Erick "Xeppaa" Bach. Cloud9 has unveiled their entire Valorant Champions Tour 2023 season squad with a single video on their Twitter account.

Along with the three returning 2022 players, newcomers Jaccob "yay" Whiteaker and Jordan "Zellsis" Montemurro will round up the five-man roster. The roster is completed by former The Guard head coach Matthew "mCe" Elmore and sixth man Mateja "qpert" Mijovic.

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The new Cloud9 Valorant team has been confirmed

Here's the complete Cloud9 roster for the VCT 2023 season:

• Nathan “leaf” Orf
• Erick “Xeppaa” Bach
• Anthony “vanity” Malaspina
• Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker
• Jordan “Zellsis” Montemurro
• Matthew “mCe” Elmore (Coach)
• Mateja “qpert” Mijovic (Substitute)

The transfer formally reunites vanity and Zellsis following their successful 2021 spell in Version1, their first destination after departing the NA CS:GO scene. The 2023 squad will be coached by Matthew "mCe" Elmore, previously the head coach of The Guard.

Since OpTic Gaming did not become a Valorant franchise, the first break from that cohesive group has begun, with yay transferring to Cloud9. After assisting OpTic Gaming to a Masters title this year, as well as other outstanding performances over the last two years, this is a superstar-level signing for Cloud9.

Zellsis' time on Version1 and Sentinels has shown that he is capable of defeating the finest in the North American Valorant scene. Despite a lackluster playoff showing, VCT 2022's Stage 1 Challengers was a playground for him.

He showed off his abilities again after joining Sentinels later in the year to help with their Last Chance Qualifier run. After a brief stint with Version1, he joined Cloud9.

Last but not least, the sixth man and head coach were both previously members of the NA Valorant group The Guard. Their former head coach, mCe, assisted them in defeating OpTic Gaming in the VCT 2022 Stage 1 Challengers.

Prior to their Last Chance Qualifier run, in which they finished second, they hired qpert as an assistant coach. Both will remain together in 2023, with qpert flying over to NA to fill the sixth spot in the lineup.

Although he was a part of both the Guard and Team Liquid over the last three months, qpert is a relatively unknown figure in the competitive arena, with his contributions mostly restricted to the role of an assistant coach or an analyst. His job with Cloud9 will involve assisting mCe as well as serving as a potential substitute for the squad.

With these additions, it's evident that the organization is utilizing the vast free agency market to assemble a formidable roster. Cloud9 has long been regarded as a powerful NA team, however, they suffered a minor setback at the conclusion of the 2022 season.

The future looks bright for the team, as they've now recruited yay, perhaps the best player in the world. Furthermore, Zellsis and mCe have both had periods of success in their own organizations. Despite his brief tenure with The Guard, qpert was widely recognized as one of the main reasons The Guard had such a successful 2022 NA LCQ run. It'll now be a matter of getting these new members to work together. If they live up to expectations, this Cloud9 lineup will be a force to be reckoned with in VCT 2023.