- C9 becomes the fourth partnered team to leave Halo esports this month
- The players seem to part ways with C9 on amicable terms
- It’s unlikely the organization will return as part of the 2023 HCS Season
Cloud9 shocked fans when it announced it is parting ways with its entire Halo roster, raising questions about the future of the HCS in 2023.
C9 Releases Its Roster
Halo esports has been in somewhat of a tough situation the past few months. With the release of Halo Infinite about a year ago, the competitive scene shifted its attention toward the game in the hopes of revitalizing the sport. However, due to many issues with the management of the events, as well as bugs and other problems with the game itself, the promised revival of competitive Halo did not perform as expected.
The latest hit to Halo esports was dealt when Cloud9 announced it is parting ways with its entire Halo roster. Adam “Bound” Gray, Kevin “Eco” Smith, Zane “Penguin” Hearon, Braedon “StelluR” Boettcher, as well as coach Emanuel “Hoaxer” Lovejoy, have all been released as free agents as of November 27.
The coach and all of the players, except Bound, have been with the organizations since 2020, a full year before the release of Halo Infinite. Before the players left C9, they were one of the longest-maintained cores of the Infinite era, alongside groups such as Sentinels and OpTic. C9’s roster consistently performed well during the last couple of years, ranking amongst the top Halo teams in North America. The team even won the HCS North America Pro Series this year.
Cloud9 becomes the fourth organization to leave the HCS this month, following Fnatic, eUnited, and Spacestation Gaming, which all did the same earlier this month. This leaves many to questions about the 2023 HCS season arise.
The Players Respond Well
Despite C9 releasing its entire roster, the players seem to part ways with the organization with amicable feelings. Penguin posted a short farewell message that indicates he had fun the past two years with his teammates.
Ex-C9 coach Hoaxer was more detailed with his parting message, saying that he leaves the organization with a sense of love for his players and supporting staff. “Since day zero, my experience here has been one of major growth and maturation,” he wrote.
“I'd be lying if I said that this ending wasn't emotional, in many senses of that state, however, it's time to move forward. There is plenty to be grateful for and I'm not one to sulk. It's time to get to work,” Hoaxer concluded in a comment under his original tweet.
It’s currently unknown what Cloud9’s next move will be, as, besides the announcement, the organization has not updated fans on anything else. Considering C9 released such a good roster, it’s unlikely it will return as part of the 2023 HCS Season.
