Cloud9 roster talk Yay's impact, the Zellsis and Vanity love story, and pressure
It was a bidding war that retained the attention of the entire VALORANT scene. As the rostermania erupted amid a newly formed franchised league, VALORANT's hottest prospect Jaccob "yay" Whiteaker was the man to catch, and with near-enough every North American VCT qualified team knocking up OpTic's line, it was the white and sky blue of Cloud9 that lit up his eyes.
Cloud9's acquisition of Yay has strengthened a team that was already looking quite fearsome. Nathan "leaf" Orf and Erick "Xeppaa" Bach signed on the dotted line of contract extensions early on, and Anthony "vanity" Malaspina's shot-calling role was solidified without a second thought.
Yet yay wasn't the only hotshot coming to Cloud9, with a reunion between vanity and Jordan "Zellsis" Montemurro on the cards, bringing him back to the org to reform the old Version1 duo.
Regarded as the winners of rostermania, Cloud9 head into a new era with finesse and swag, and they look to transfer this to the field in the Red Bull Home Ground.
With the pre-season tournament beckoning, we spoke to Zellsis, yay, and vanity, quizzing them on their own home ground, roots into gaming, and their Red Bull Home Ground aspirations.
Zellsis:
As we look to see Zellsis in a C9 shirt in VALORANT for the first time, Zellsis reflects on his journey back to this organisation, why content creation is absolutely necessary, and what rocks bands get his in-game radianite flowing.
Vanity:
As the IGL, Vanity discusses the trials and tribulations of forming a successful Cloud9 team, who inspired him along his journey to be one of the best VALORANT professionals around, and why family support is essential.
Yay:
The main man himself opened up on the off-season transfer period, what attracted him to Cloud9, and whether or not there is an added pressure that comes alongside the fame.
Cloud9 will face FOKUS, KRU, and Team Vitality in the group stages of the Red Bull Home Ground as they look to secure their place in the Quarter Finals.