After almost three years of struggles and mediocre results, Cloud9 has confirmed that it has officially exited the Counter-Strike scene for the time being. The legacy organization initially left the scene back in 2021, before reforming in 2022 with a focus on the CIS region. Now, three years into that project, the organization has called it quits once more.
Credit: Joao Ferreira | PGL
Cloud9 exits Counter-Strike (again)
With the 2025 competitive CS2 season in full swing, and Cloud9’s former roster picked apart piece by piece, it comes as no huge surprise to learn that Cloud9 won’t be fielding a roster in the game for the foreseeable future. In a post announcing former coach groove’s exit from the org, Cloud9 confirmed it “is taking a step back from Counter-Strike 2. While we have no immediate plans to re-enter, we love CS and are always on the lookout for opportunities.”
By the sounds of its announcement, this is more of a “so long, for now,” rather than a “goodbye, forever.” Cloud9 has a deep-rooted history in Counter-Strike, so it’s good that it appears open to opportunities in the future. Rumors had swirled that Cloud9 was looking to pick up an NA roster, with several at the org even playing into the idea that it could bring back several members of its 2018 Boston Major-winning lineup for old time’s sake.
Obviously, whatever plans it had haven’t come to fruition, so Cloud9 CS fans will have to be patient until we see them on the server. My take is good riddance, for now. Their attempt to run a CIS roster couldn’t have gone worse, with only an IEM Dallas 2022 win to show for their efforts despite having several of the best players in the scene. Cloud9 needs a reset, and a period of reflection to rethink its future in Counter-Strike – this break could be just what it needs.