Offseason Overview — Cloud9 New York

The organization had a disappointing first season in the CDL, with their best finish only reaching the top 6 at Major 2. Although they made some roster changes during the course of the season, unfortunately, these adjustments came too late to make a significant impact. It will be intriguing to see if they remain intact for the upcoming Esports World Cup Tournament taking place in July. The current suspicion is that the organization will stay intact, but they'll likely reassess their strategy for the Black Ops 7 season.

Cloud9 New York's roster and coaching staff to end the season consist of:

○ Daunte "Sib" Gray
○ Kris "Spart" Cervantez
○ Kyle "Kremp" Haworth
○ Kenyen "Capsidal" Sutton
○ Lamar "Accuracy" Abedi (Head Coach)
○ Arian Chitsaz (Assistant Coach)

Unfortunately, this roster was hastily assembled in an attempt to find a temporary boost during Stage IV of the season and qualify for the World Championship. Unsurprisingly, that did not succeed and fell short of qualifying.

📸 Photo by @CODLeague

So, what’s next? The focus should be on building around the most promising players, Sib and Kremp. This is not up for debate if the Cloud9 wants to take a step up next year. Although Sib likely had his worst individual season since becoming a pro player in Vanguard (2020), everyone still acknowledges he's a top player in the AR position. The next step is to find the perfect pair that compliments the duo for next season.

Possible Player Changes

SMG Option 1: Isaiah "Gwinn" Gwinn

Gwinn is expected to become a free agent in the upcoming off-season after spending two years with the Carolina Royal Ravens. He finished second in our Rookie of the Year award in his debut season, nearly leading the Ravens to the Call of Duty Championships, but ultimately fell short. While Gwinn hasn't had as standout a season this year and has occasionally struggled on LAN, the overall performance of the team has improved, and they will be competing in the biggest tournament of the year. Gwinn would enhance the team’s slaying capability, and he and Kremp could form a strong, high-potential duo. Gwinn has an overall K/D ratio of 1.05 this season.

📸 Photo by @Spribs_

SMG Option 2: Eli "Standy" Bentz

Standy presents a bigger risk than Gwinn on paper, having had a couple of underwhelming seasons at the professional level. However, he has demonstrated that he still possesses a lot of talent this season in Challengers under the OMiT team. If you can help Standy reach his full potential, he has the capability to win event MVP awards, but the inconsistency has led to his release from multiple CDL rosters.

AR Option 1: Carson "Brack" Newberry

Brack likely should have already received a chance in the pro league this season, but unfortunately, that opportunity hasn't come his way. After excelling in the Challengers scene for the past two seasons, it would be a real disappointment if he doesn't get a chance to start the next season. His last stint in the CDL was with the Florida Mutineers during MW2, and while he didn't make a significant impact, he proved to be a solid player. He has since improved and could be an excellent fit alongside Sib and Kremp.

AR Option 2: Reece "Vivid" Drost

Vivid would allow Sib to transition from his flex role, which he doesn't always enjoy—sometimes having to use the SMG—into a primary AR role. This has been evident over the last two seasons. Although Vivid's numbers may not be the most impressive, it's become clear that whenever teams drop him mid-season, they fail to improve and, in many cases, worsen. This suggests that teams should reconsider how they value him. Since being released by the Royal Ravens, he has gone on to win the latest Challenger LAN event, demonstrating that he remains a level above the Challenger circuit.