C9 reportedly looks to replace vanity as IGL before VCT Americas

Following the departure of star player Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker, Cloud9 is looking for a new in-game leader for its VALORANT roster, just weeks before the start of the VCT Americas league.

North American organization Cloud9 is expected to replace in-game leader Anthony “vanity” Malaspina on the VALORANT roster, as reported by journalist Max Katz and confirmed by multiple sources. The move comes just days after Cloud9 said goodbye to superstar yay.

Cloud9 parts ways with vanity

Although vanity’s teammates at Cloud9 have expressed a desire for him to remain on the team, Cloud9 is expected to go through with the move anyway, replacing him as IGL. vanity is one of the Cloud9 members who had been with the organization the longest. He joined the team after his stint with Version1 in August 2021. Since then, Cloud9 has become one of the best teams in North America.

During his time at Cloud9, yay was one of the highest-paid players in the world, something he negotiated after joining OpTic Gaming. He will be undoubtedly looking for a new team, but that could be very difficult on such short notice, as most rosters have yet to be finalized.

Who will be Cloud9’s new IGL?

Cloud9 still has a few weeks to find two new players before the international league starts in America on April 1. The organization has been reportedly trying out several semi-professional players, but apparently still does not want to pay high transfer fees for players signed to other organizations. Many teams would also be unwilling to sell their players during the Challengers season.

In recent days, Cloud9 has been reportedly experimenting with several players, often with a second team, to explore options in finding a replacement for yay. The team has been practicing with its backup players qpert and BlackHeart, but one player is said to have made a more notable impression — Michael “nerve” Yerrow, former Soniqs player.

Other players who have trained with Cloud9 or are slated for tryouts include former Soniqs player Dylan “runi” Cade, former Moon Racoons player Jacob “icy” Lange, former Gen.G player Edmon “snirot” Ghanem and former VIRTUOSO player Nathan “Blahst” Brand, sources said.

Jimmy “Marved” Nguyen was also likely one of the options for Cloud9, but the organization will likely refuse to pay his transfer fee.

At the VCT LOCK//IN, Cloud9 were sent home by eventual top-four team DRX on February 18. The team managed to defeat Paper Rex in the opening match.

Header: Cloud9