El Diablo won't be a part of C9 for the VCT Americas League, becoming a hot commodity in the free agent market.
In a shocking bit of news, rumors of Jaccob "Yay" Whiteaker leaving Cloud9 turned out to be true following a disappointing showing at Valorant LOCK//IN, the first major event of 2023.
Prior to his Cloud9 adventure, Yay was touted as the best Valorant player in the world by both fans and analysts alike, with 100 Thieves CEO Nadeshot having to explain to fans why his org didn't poach him for the upcoming VCT 2023.
Why Did Yay Leave Cloud9?
According to Jack Etienne, CEO of Cloud9, and Matthew Elmore, Head Coach of the Valorant team, it was not a clash of personalities, but rather a playstyle decision.
An update on the Cloud9 VALORANT roster pic.twitter.com/DFVmZm3Cav
— Cloud9 VALORANT (@C9VAL) March 1, 2023
As fans are probably well aware, Yay is known for being an extremely good Duelist who had to transition to an even better Chamber player.
As nerfs made the Sentinel Agent almost useless, the former OpTic Gaming star was one of the only remaining Chambers in pro play.
While still talented, having Yay still fill that role led to other members of the team, including Leaf, the former main Duelist of C9, filling out positions outside his comfort zone, having rippling effects on the entire team's synergy.
Sadly, what seemed an explosive combination ends before it even began, and now, Cloud9 will have to work around the clock to find a suitable replacement for Yay, working to integrate whoever ends up being selected to try and complete the daunting task of filling El Diablo's shoes.
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