You have seen Cloud9 enter a period of rapid change as the organization reshapes its VALORANT roster. Within a short span, the team moved on from multiple players while signaling a broader rebrand and reset.
You watched Erik “penny” Penny announce his departure, while Erick “Xeppaa” Bach and Victor “v1c” Truong stepped away from competitive play for personal reasons. These moves mark a significant shift for Cloud9 as you look at the team’s direction heading into its next phase.
Xeppaa and v1c depart Cloud9 lineup
You saw Cloud9 begin reshaping its roster shortly after penny stepped away on May 3, a move that cleared the path for rookie Jackk to enter Tier 1 play. The organization signaled broader changes as it prepared to refresh the team’s identity.
Within two weeks, two more names exited the active lineup. Both v1c and Xeppaa confirmed they would no longer compete.
- v1c chose to step back to focus on family life and said he no longer enjoyed playing VALORANT at a competitive level.
- Xeppaa decided to pause his career, explaining that he needed time away from competition.
Xeppaa shared that the decision felt difficult but necessary. He acknowledged the organization’s long-standing support while stating that taking a break was the right move for him at this stage.
You recognize the weight of his departure. Since joining in April 2021 after transitioning from Counter-Strike, Xeppaa had become Cloud9’s longest-tenured VALORANT player.
With three departures in a short span, you can clearly see the scale of Cloud9’s roster reset.
Cloud9 and the EWC Qualifiers 2026
Cloud9 entered the Esports World Cup 2026 Americas Qualifier under roster pressure. You saw the team add Jackk and later Jaden “Notexxd” Anderson, formerly of QoR Gaming, to stabilize the lineup.
After Xeppaa stepped away from competition, assistant coach Wyatt “Veer” Blevins moved into the active roster. The shift forced you to rely on short-term adjustments rather than long-practiced structure.
Key changes during qualifiers:
- Jackk added to the lineup
- Notexxd signed from QoR Gaming
- Veer filled the vacant starting role
With limited preparation time, the group struggled to build cohesion and exited the qualifier after a 0–2 loss to Sentinels.
