Sergey “Ax1Le” Rykhtorov, the renowned Russian rifler, has successfully obtained a visa and is on his way to Germany to rejoin his team, Cloud9, for the playoffs of IEM Cologne. His absence during the group stage was felt, but Cloud9 still managed to reach the playoffs, showcasing their resilience and adaptability.
The 21-year-old Ax1Le couldn’t participate in the group stage due to visa issues and was temporarily replaced by Timur “buster” Tulepov. Despite this setback, Cloud9 pulled off an impressive run through the lower bracket, defeating 9INE, Monte, and GamerLegion. The team’s recent additions, Denis “electroNic” Sharipov, and Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy, have seamlessly integrated into the team, revitalizing Cloud9’s performance.
With Ax1Le’s return, Cloud9 is now at full strength and ready to face Vitality in the quarter-final match at the Lanxess Arena. Dan “apEX” Madesclaire’s team, Vitality, will have limited data to prepare against Cloud9, as the latter has been playing more like a mix-team with buster. The Russian team is now poised to unveil their complete lineup, aiming for the trophy.
Cloud9’s roster for the playoffs includes:
- Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov
- Sergey “Ax1Le” Rykhtorov
- Abay “HObbit” Khassenov
- Denis “electroNic” Sharipov
- Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy
With Konstantin “groove” Pikiner as the coach, the team is set to face Vitality on August 4, 2023, at 13:30.
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