In a decisive move marking the kickoff of the VCT Americas 2024 season, Cloud9 has announced a surprising change to its VALORANT roster. The organization has parted ways with Maxim “wippie” Shepelev, a mere three regular-season matches into his tenure, a move echoing a similar decision from the previous year.

Wippie's departure comes as a shock to many, given his signing just six months ago during the offseason. However, amidst the tumult of competitive play, Cloud9 deemed it necessary to make adjustments swiftly. In a statement following the announcement, wippie expressed his disappointment, acknowledging that his time with C9 didn't unfold as anticipated. Nevertheless, he affirmed his commitment to returning to competitive play at the earliest opportunity, regardless of region or competitive tier.

The decision to part ways with wippie underscores Cloud9's commitment to maintaining a competitive edge. Despite securing victories in 13 out of 30 maps played across various tournaments, including the Red Bull Double agent event and the VCT Americas Kickoff, the team's performance during the latter was less than satisfactory, claiming victory in only two out of seven matches.

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This roster change isn't unprecedented for Cloud9. In a parallel move during the 2023 season, the organization swiftly altered its lineup following the VCT LOCK//IN tournament. The departure of yay, a prominent free agent signing, citing role conflicts, preceded the exit of in-game leader vanity mere weeks later.