Subroza blasts Cloud9, Jack responds and talks C9’s CSGO future

When Yassine “Subroza” Taoufik secured his trial position with Cloud9, it represented a career-defining moment for the established North American competitor. The timing appeared perfect—joining an elite esports organization just as their Counter-Strike: Global Offensive squad seemed to be stabilizing around a solid foundation of talent.

The promising situation quickly unraveled when Gen.G announced they had acquired the majority of Cloud9’s starting lineup. This left Subroza in an awkward position, having barely begun his integration with the team before the roster disintegrated.

Since that disappointing development, Subroza has been competing with various squads in qualification tournaments. His visible frustration about the lost opportunity became evident through his social media activity, particularly in responses to tournament participation discussions.

“The team environment had already deteriorated before my arrival,” he explained, referencing Cloud9’s performance at BLAST Pro Series Copenhagen. “We didn’t manage a single practice session together before facing elite opponents like Astralis, Natus Vincere, and FaZe Clan. The comparison speaks for itself.”

Subroza’s transparent disappointment, combined with growing community concerns about Cloud9’s CSGO direction, ignited extensive debate across the organization’s social media channels. This mounting criticism ultimately compelled Cloud9 CEO Jack Etienne to address the situation publicly.

Cloud9 CEO Jack Etienne discusses future in CSGO

“Our Cloud9 support staff performed exceptionally in providing resources for the team,” Etienne stated on Reddit. “After Timothy ‘autimatic’ Ta, Kenneth ‘koosta’ Suen, and Damian ‘daps’ Steele transferred to Gen.G at their own request, they collectively decided to cease team practices.” He emphasized that “Cloud9 has consistently provided comprehensive support for our CSGO division, including dedicated management, sports psychology services, physical therapy sessions at our facility multiple times weekly, daily meal catering, and numerous additional benefits.”

When community members challenged Cloud9’s dedication to CSGO—particularly following the dissolution of their ELEAGUE Boston Major championship roster—Etienne countered by disclosing the organization had allocated over $1 million specifically for purchasing player contracts alone.

The CEO didn’t provide exact breakdowns of individual acquisition costs or specify the timeframe for accumulating this substantial investment. However, Cloud9’s history of notable free agent acquisitions makes this financial commitment entirely plausible for the established organization.

Robin “flusha” Ronnquist, Fabian “kioShiMa” Fey, and Maikil “Golden” Selim represent just a few of the prominent players Cloud9 has recruited. Unfortunately, none of these high-profile acquisitions resulted in lasting competitive achievement for the organization.

Despite the significant financial outlay and corresponding lack of tournament success, Etienne remained adamant about Cloud9’s ongoing commitment to the Counter-Strike ecosystem.

“We remain determined to continue investing resources and working diligently toward assembling another championship-caliber team,” he affirmed.

Current industry rumors suggest Cloud9 is negotiating with ATK regarding potential acquisition of their complete CSGO roster, signaling continued pursuit of competitive relevance.

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