Unfortunately for Cloud9 fans, it seems like their CSGO team will be without their in-game leader for another event. Maikil “Golden” Selim is sitting out BLAST Pro Series in Lisbon this year due to health issues.
Still being unable to compete due to a medical situation, @goldenmajk will not be attending at @BLASTProSeries #Lisbon.
We are happy to announce that @refrezhCS will be standing-in for #C9CSGO! Catch the team in action on Dec. 14th! #LETSGOC9 pic.twitter.com/x3TrfMbJwr
— Cloud9 (@Cloud9) December 6, 2018
This will be another event that Golden will be sitting out on, as he has been missing multiple tournaments. In his place, the team would field Soham “valens” Chowdhury, but it looks like they want a more dedicated player for BLAST Pro Series Lisbon. Not much information has been released about Golden’s condition, but we do have an idea about what it could be about. His teammate, Timothy “autimatic” Ta, would give some details on his in-game leader’s situation.
Golden and his Condition
According to Autimatic, Golden is suffering a medical condition affecting his heart. JasonR, a famous Counter-Strike streamer, would have Autimatic speak on the situation. Timothy is not sure exactly what the condition is, but it is apparently related to stress. Their coach, Valens, would replace him temporarily for Esports Championship Series Season Six Finals and BLAST Pro Series Copenhagen.
Golden would vent out his frustrations on Twitter, but would also express his hopes for 2019, saying: “Frustrating to end the year like this but I believe we will do great at BLAST Lisbon with Refrezh stepping in to help out the team. Thanks for the support and good luck Cloud9 in Lisbon. Thank you all for the support, [I] will come back stronger.” It is a tough way to end 2018, especially since Golden has just joined the team a few months ago. Hopefully, he will be able to return to the lineup healthy and stronger than ever.
Roster changes?
Meanwhile, the Cloud9 roster for BLAST Pro Series Lisbon will still have much of the main core. Autimatic, Will “RUSH” Wierzba and Robin “flusha” Rönnquist are still heading to Portugal. Additionally, their newest addition, Fabien “kioShiMa” Fiey, will be heading over to Lisbon as well. It is unlucky that their in-game leader has not had much playing time with the full roster, but Cloud9 will have to make do with the circumstances they are given.
The team hasn’t had much success without Golden, placing fifth at BLAST Pro Series Copenhagen and bowing out in the group stages at the ECS Season Six Finals. Cloud9 needs their in-game leader in a pretty bad way, especially in preparation for the next year’s events. The next Major tournament, IEM Katowice, is coming up in February, so the lineup needs all the practice they can get with the full team.
Who Is Refrezh?
On the other hand, Refrezh is a 20-year-old stand-in from Denmark, hoping to make a name for himself on one of North America’s biggest teams. The last organization he would play for would be Fragsters, first as a trial and then as a permanent member. Their best finish as a team would be at StarSeries this year, where Refrezh and company would reach the quarterfinals. Now, with no pressure on his shoulders, he will want to show off his skills to the world at BLAST Pro Series.
What are your thoughts on Cloud9 picking up Refrezh for BLAST Pro Series Lisbon? Let us know what you think in the comments below! If you want more CSGO coverage, check us out here!
