Cloud 9 2021 Roster Spotlight
After a disappointing end to the 2020 season, Cloud9 have revamped their roster for a triumphant return to LCS. The monster acquisition of Perkz has ripped headlines all across the League of Legends scene, gifting North America the best rated European talent to join the scene since Bjergsen and Jensen.
With Fudge joining the top side and Reignover taking over the helm as Head Coach, C9 Jack has once again dominated the offseason after pulling together a world contending roster seemingly out of thin air. The excitement is at an all-time high, and the trash-talking will be even higher as the king of Europe makes his jump over the pond to take on his biggest challenge yet.
Success from within
It’s no surprise that Cloud9 has been at the forefront of innovation within the LCS since their introduction to the league.
With long-tenured Head Coach Reapered announcing his exit, he promoted Academy Head Coach Reignover to the main roster. This move was immediately followed by the promotion of Academy Top Laner Fudge.
On paper, the loss of Licorice alone would be enough to categorize their season as a wash, but C9 staff and many others within the Academy circuit remain bullish on Fudge’s prospects.
According to accounts on the team, C9 staff believed Fudge was good enough to make the transition to LCS in 2020 — but import rules stopped that from happening. With the recent rule change for Oceanic players, this move was the fundamental first step for C9 to pull off the biggest coup of the offseason just weeks later.
Project: Perkz
Make no mistake, C9’s acquisition of Perkz is the most groundbreaking move in western League of Legends since Caps trading jerseys for G2. The long-time EU all-star has finally opted for a change of scenery that will take Cloud9, and the rest of the North American region by storm.
Perkz is infinitely more than just a great mid laner. He is the kind of player that forces his teammates and everyone around him to perform at the same level due to sheer inspiration. As he reunites with Zven on the rift, and old teammate Mithy as a strategic coach, there are plenty of preexisting forms of synergy that make this move make sense.
Imports in the past, especially pertaining to Mid laners, have not gone so well for any organization not named TSM. This situation is completely different as C9 Jack has made it clear he is bringing Perkz to the team in order for him to make it his own.
Having the backing of your owner as you look to completely change their playstyle is important for long-term success. As long as visions are aligned, there are plenty of good options for Cloud9 as they enter the 2021 LCS season with a renewed sense of vigor.
Perkz is one of the few western players who can go toe-to-toe with any Chinese or Korean mid laner during international events. Having that talisman in your back pocket for worlds will give C9 and the entire North American region a renewed sense of gusto as they test their metal against him.
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