In a surprising turn of events during the VALORANT off-season, Cloud9 has bid farewell to their head coach, Matthew “mCe” Elmore. This decision comes as the team undergoes significant changes ahead of the 2024 season, leaving mCe open to explore other coaching opportunities in the competitive VALORANT landscape.

Cloud9 Part Ways with Valorant Head Coach mCe Ahead of VCT 2024 Season

Cloud9's journey through the 2023 VALORANT season was a rollercoaster ride. At the outset, the team appeared to be a superteam with impressive free agent signings like Jordan “Zellsis” Montemurro and Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker bolstering their already formidable core. mCe was brought on board as the head coach, fresh from his successful 2022 season, where he played a pivotal role in leading The Guard to the number one spot in the North American scene. Despite early-season drama and the unexpected departures of yay and Anthony “vanity” Malaspina, mCe worked diligently to rebuild the roster, introducing Jake “jakee” Anderson and Dylan “runi” Cade as their replacements.

Under mCe's guidance, Cloud9 defied expectations by securing impressive victories in the regional circuit. Their resurgence earned them the respect of fans who had initially been concerned about the departures of key players early in the season. However, as the season unfolded, Cloud9 encountered obstacles on their path. They fell short of qualifying for both Masters Tokyo and Champions 2023, suffering upsets at the hands of lower-ranked teams like KRÜ Esports and Leviatán. Unfortunately, the season concluded on a disappointing note despite the remarkable turnaround engineered by mCe.

The team found itself at a crossroads, having experienced both mCe's promising start to the year and the setbacks that followed. After careful deliberation, Cloud9 made the decision to part ways with mCe, marking the end of his tenure with the organization. This announcement came shortly after the contracts of Zellsis and runi also expired. 

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As mCe explores future opportunities, he has expressed interest in potentially taking on roles as an assistant coach or in the collegiate esports scene. However, with the impending rostermania in the Americas for the 2024 season, the possibilities are numerous, and one opportunity in particular seems tailor-made.