Cloud9 are certainly very good at making things interesting. After a solid 3-0 weekend, C9 completely fumbled away sole possession of first place. In fact Cloud9 now sits in third alongside Team Liquid – another team who has made an unpopular roster swap this summer. Cloud9 looked outclassed at several moments this weekend, despite playing against two teams who came into the week at or under .500. For this week’s Cloud9 Cooldown, it’s time to ask a few questions to see what fans can expect from this coin-flip team.
[Related: Cloud9 Cooldown: Sluggish Start to Summer Split]
Which Cloud9 Will Fans See Each Week?
First and foremost, it definitely feels like there are two separate versions of this Cloud9 team. There is the version that can power through early faults and find success through team fighting. Then there is the other Cloud9 that looks lost in the early stages of the game and fails to find the right opportunities to get back into the match. Fans had the pleasure of watching these two Cloud9s one after another, just to really highlight the highs and lows of the roster.
Though fans have seen this before from Cloud9. Not too long ago, C9 were beating top LCK and LPL teams at MSI while losing games against much smaller regions. Not many people expected that version of C9 to return to NA. It’s a bit shocking to see this team struggle, after the success they had in the spring. Cloud9 just has a problem remaining consistent. People saw this building after last year’s summer
Was it Just Draft Diff Each Game?
What separates these two Cloud9s is where they put focus in the composition at the draft. In their flawless week, Cloud9 pushed to give Perkz extremely powerful mid-lane options in LeBlanc, Tristana, and Lee Sin. Cloud9 were able to utilize the advantage Perkz built up by playing through the mid lane. Fudge also received a few power picks through the weekend including two games on Gwen. Overall the team compositions from Cloud9 just fit their playstyle much more than what audiences saw this past weekend.
In their three losses this weekend, Cloud9 seemed to be at a compositional disadvantage in every game. They didn’t know really where their strengths were and lost a ton of team fights because their comps were too difficult to execute. Perkz never found a good target to assassinate on Akali against EG, and never had a chance burst down TSM’s Kog’Maw as Syndra. These hybrid-poke compositions just never worked for the team, and they suffered for it.
When is it time to worry about these early losses?
Even though Cloud9 started the Summer Season with a 1-2 record, it was easy to shake off the slow start due to growing pains with a new roster. There were moments that hammered home the fact that this team is struggling to integrate it’s newest member. For a moment, people assumed the issues had been resolved after winning three straight. But in reality C9’s problems were still there, and analysts were rightfully worried.
Losing three games in a row only confirmed Cloud9 fans’ initial hesitations about the decision to bench Zven. Luckily for those clamoring for his return, those prayers have been answered. Mid-day on Tuesday June 22, C9 announced that Zven would be joining the LCS roster once again.
He's back. pic.twitter.com/3uTCLPM5XE
— Cloud9 (@Cloud9) June 22, 2021
With the all-pro bot laner back in the lineup, people are already making claims that Cloud9 can bounce back from their mediocre start. The league will see if Zven can right the ship this coming weekend. If Cloud9 continue to struggle in this new meta, there may be much more reason for concern across the board. Until then, fans can feel good about watching the same C9 roster that won the Spring Season just a few months ago.
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Featured image courtesy of Riot Games
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