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Cloud9 confirms that they will be adding their most recent stand-in, Maikil “Golden” Selim, to their CSGO roster. Also, he will continue his role as the in-game leader for the foreseeable future. His next test with Cloud9 lies at the FACEIT London Major in September.

This news comes after Cloud9’s trial run with Golden at the 2018 ELEAGUE Premier. This was going to be a hard run for Cloud9 from the beginning, as they were put against pretty tough competition in the group stage. They would face off against Astralis, Team Liquid and MIBR, three mostly proven teams. Cloud9 struggled to get significant success at the Premier, due to their lack of synergy and practice time together. However, the team did shows flashes of hope for Cloud9 fans here and there.

The Golden Effect

Golden had a pretty significant impact on Cloud9, even though it was his first time playing with the team. This was also his first time shotcalling and leading a team while speaking English. He did relatively well, considering the competition the team had to face. Even though they lost against MIBR, they were able to mount an exciting comeback in their second map to make a game of it. You have to wonder how this team will do with a bit more practice together. Cloud9’s long time members, Will “RUSH” Wierzba, Tyler “Skadoodle” Latham and Timothy “autimatic” Ta played pretty decently, and you would have to think that with time, this team could become great.

Golden gave praise to how quickly he was accepted by the Cloud9 organization, stating,

I can’t express how much I want to wear the Cloud9 jersey and give my all for the fans. After just one week with the team, I feel like I’m at home already. The atmosphere has been unreal and I’m looking forward to the success we’ll have in the near future, and maybe a few rib-eyes on the way.

Additionally, C9 CEO Jack Etienne gave a glowing review of Golden’s short time with the team, saying that the “coaches, players, and myself were impressed with the professionalism and structure Golden brought to [their] team.”

Cloud9 Sticking With STYKO? Or trying another fifth?

The next big decision for the Cloud9 CSGO team will be whether or not they keep their other stand-in, Martin “STYKO” Styk, who they loaned from Mousesports. They would acquire STYKO from Mousesports in June after the German team would bench him for former Virtus.Pro star, Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski. However, many people would agree that, although STYKO has had a few moments in his stint with Cloud9, he has underperformed.

However, is his lackluster performance due to lack of synergy with his teammates? Should Cloud9 give him more time to acclimatize to his new team? He has only played with the team for two events, ESL One Cologne and the 2018 ELEAGUE Premier. Maybe with more practice, STYKO could become a better player with his teammates, if given the chance. However, there has been no indication that Cloud9 plans to sign him for the long term.

Possible Roster Routes

Cloud9 Cromen
Source: HLTV

Although STYKO plays his role of support relatively well, it may not be a role that Cloud9 desperately needs. What Cloud9 needs is more firepower from their roster. They lost a star fragger in Jacky “Stewie2K” Yip back in March, and his absence has been felt ever since. They need to look for a player who can put up many multi-kill rounds, and who can carry the team through some tough situations.

A few players come to mind when thinking of the fifth spot on Cloud9’s roster. One of the biggest available free agents, Jorgen “cromen” Robertsen, could be a great addition to the C9 CSGO team. He has already shown that he is not only capable of holding his own against the best, but he also welcomes the bright lights with open arms. Although his time with FaZe Clan as a stand-in was relatively short, his impact was felt across the CSGO scene. He helped an Olofmeister-less FaZe capture the 2018 ESL One: Belo Horizonte championship. He also had multiple amazing plays in an impressive showing at ESL One Cologne.

I think that Cromen could provide Cloud9 with enough flashy plays and firepower to help push them to the next level. It would also be great for Cromen to finally find a home, as him going without a team after his striking performances has been quite surprising.


Who else do you think could fill in the fifth spot on C9’s CSGO team? What do you think of Golden joining officially joining the roster? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! If you want more CSGO content, check us out here!