Autimatic, daps, koosta leave Cloud9 for new Gen.G CSGO team

Gen.G Esports has officially launched its Counter-Strike: Global Offensive competitive division, marking a significant expansion into one of esports’ most established titles.

The Korean-based organization secured former Cloud9 core members Timothy “autimatic” Ta, Damian “daps” Steele, and Kenneth “koosta” Suen, while also bringing aboard Cloud9’s assistant coach Chris “Elmapuddy” Tebbit to assume head coaching responsibilities.

“We’re excited to establish our presence in the CSGO competitive landscape and welcome these experienced competitors as our foundational roster,” Gen.G stated via their official Twitter announcement. “Additional roster additions will be revealed in upcoming weeks. Our objective centers on securing another major championship for the North American region.”

Gen.G operates as a major multi-title esports entity headquartered in South Korea, renowned primarily for its dominant League of Legends squad competing in the LCK. The organization also maintains exclusively Korean rosters for PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and oversees the Seoul Dynasty franchise in the Overwatch League.

Throughout 2019, Gen.G has pursued aggressive expansion across multiple gaming titles and geographical markets. The company previously fielded North American squads in Apex Legends and Call of Duty, while currently maintaining competitive teams in both Fortnite and the NBA 2K League.

This strategic move into CSGO represents a substantial advancement for Gen.G’s global esports portfolio, simultaneously signaling potential conclusion to Cloud9’s involvement in the professional Counter-Strike scene.

Gen.G gets strong foundation despite Cloud9 CSGO struggles

Cloud9 has experienced persistent competitive difficulties within CSGO following their celebrated ELEAGUE Boston Major championship victory in 2018. Despite achieving intermittent successes during the subsequent two-year period, the organization has predominantly underperformed across virtually every significant tournament they’ve participated in.

The team’s competitive foundation relied heavily on autimatic, who maintained consistently strong individual performances for Cloud9 and represented the final remaining competitor from their major-winning lineup. The organization integrated longtime NRG Esports strategic leader daps and former Counter Logic Gaming professional koosta during July. This new core configuration demonstrated glimpses of competitive potential, though they remained relatively inactive beyond ECS Season 8’s North American division while simultaneously navigating additional roster complications.

Current speculation surrounds the two remaining roster positions, with previous industry rumors indicating the organization has engaged in discussions with Georgi “SHiPZ” Grigorov from CR4ZY.

Regarding Cloud9’s situation, transferring three core players creates substantial uncertainty about the organization’s continued participation in professional CSGO. Oscar “mixwell” Cañellas Colocho stands as Cloud9’s sole remaining fully-active professional competitor. Yassine “Subroza” Taoufik joined the squad under provisional trial conditions, Tyson “TenZ” Ngo was moved to inactive status earlier this year, and Maikil “Golden” Kunda Selim has been competing under loan arrangement with Fnatic since June.

Cloud9 maintains an impressive competitive legacy within CSGO but will likely require comprehensive roster reconstruction to reestablish competitive relevance. This presents an exceptionally challenging undertaking currently, given that numerous elite free agents and organizationless teams have been rapidly acquired throughout recent months.

The North American CSGO ecosystem undergoes significant transformation as established organizations realign their competitive priorities. Gen.G’s calculated entry demonstrates strategic market positioning while Cloud9’s roster depletion highlights the volatile nature of professional esports team management.

Strategic Insight: Organizations expanding into established esports titles often benefit from acquiring experienced core rosters rather than developing talent from scratch, reducing initial competitive adaptation periods.

Common Roster Management Mistake: Failing to secure contract extensions for key performers during successful periods frequently leads to talent depletion when market conditions shift.

Advanced Organizational Strategy: Successful esports entities typically maintain diversified title portfolios while ensuring each competitive division receives adequate resources for sustained success.

Industry analysts project completion of Gen.G’s roster within 3-4 weeks, with potential additional acquisitions from European competitive circuits to strengthen strategic depth.

The current competitive environment presents substantial challenges for organizations attempting complete roster rebuilds, with premium talent commanding increasingly competitive compensation packages. Cloud9’s situation exemplifies how rapidly competitive fortunes can shift in professional esports, where yesterday’s champions become today’s rebuilding projects.

For teams navigating similar transitions, our Complete Guide provides valuable frameworks for strategic roster development and long-term competitive planning.

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