Cloud9 made an unexpected decision to terminate both coach Konstantin “groove” Pikiner and manager Aleksandr “Sweetypotz” Shcherbakov from their staff. Cloud9 made their major Counter-Strike (CS) strategy change through an official announcement on February 14, 2025. The organization declared it would not return to competitive CS right away yet it left the door open for CS opportunities when suitable future conditions emerge.
The CS division of Cloud9 faced difficult times leading up to this decision. The Cloud9 team secured one victory during the opening stage of the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 tournament. The insufficient performance at the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 resulted in the departure of Kirill “Boombl4” Mikhailov, Sergey “Ax1Le” Rykhtorov, and Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko who moved on to play for top-tier teams.
The CS2 performance of Cloud9 has received extensive documentation regarding its recent difficulties. The esports powerhouse suffered multiple disappointing results in the competitive arena. The team started 2024 well by reaching top eight at PGL Copenhagen Major yet failed to sustain this success. The team’s hopes rose slightly when Kaisar “ICY” Faiznurov joined in July 2024 yet this move failed to save the team from its downward spiral.
Major tournament qualification failures and quick elimination at the Shanghai Major revealed substantial organizational problems. In January 2025 Timofey “interz” Yakushin became the final active player in Cloud9 before departing from the organization. The organization operated with only coach groove and benched player Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy because the entire active roster had left Cloud9.
The organization released a message on X (then Twitter) declaring their commitment to Counter Strike while announcing they would pause their activities. The organization expressed interest in returning to competitive play by mentioning their ongoing search for suitable opportunities.
Cloud9 fans actively discuss potential directions for the team. The organization is expected to construct an entirely new team with a focus on recruiting North American competitors. The organization might consider acquiring top players such as Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev to enhance their CS2 line-up according to some analysts.
Cloud9 has already withdrawn from CS at least once before. The organization made a temporary suspension of its CS:GO operations during 2021 because of disappointing outcomes and the effects of COVID-19. The team made a comeback in 2022 when they acquired Gambit Esports’ roster that included Ax1Le and interz among other players.
Throughout their esports journey Cloud9 has proven time and again their ability to recover from setbacks. History shows that Cloud9 tends to emerge stronger after uncertain periods and the organization may do so again in due time.
Cloud9 chose to break ties with groove and Sweetypotz as they step away from Counter-Strike temporarily. The organization shows dedication to new possibilities that brings comfort to its disappointed fanbase. The organization continues to dedicate efforts toward developing their return strategy after their recent departure from CS.