Cloud9 Releases Two Top Fortnite Players

In a surprising move, Cloud9 has made the decision to release both Noah “Vivid” Wright and Ryan “Chap” Chaplo, two of the organization’s leading Fortnite players. The duo arrived at Cloud9 as marquee players in 2020, alongside nosh, Fryst and Avery. While Chap has yet to have his say on the news, Vivid took to Twitter to confirm that he had been released from his contract.

What Vivid Had to Say Upon His Release

The news of the duo being released is surprising given the fact that they had both signed lengthy contracts with Cloud9. Speaking on his departure, former Fortnite World Cup Finalist Vivid stated that:

“To explain the situation… got a message yesterday inquiring about having a meeting today. Then today got into the meeting with the Fortnite manager (Robin) over at C9 who basically immediately informed me that myself and Chap would be getting released today. There was no real explanation. I doubt Robin knew why as the only explanation he got for the decision was “visibility.”

ot entirely sure what that means but figured I’d let you guys know as much as I do. As far as I know, Avery, Nosh, and Fryst are still on the C9 roster and have no idea what C9’s plans are for the future of Fortnite.”

Vivid and Chap both formally comepted under the banner of Team Liquid, with the former having already fuelled speculation of a return following his release by Cloud9. Adding to his earlier comments, Vivid stated that:

“This whole situation has made me appreciate the guys over at Team Liquid so much more. No offense to C9 but it genuinely broke my heart to leave Team Liquid because I know what kind of people are at Liquid and I genuinely saw myself spending, what could have been, the rest of my life there.”

What the Future Holds for the Duo

It now appears that Vivid will not compete in professional Fortnite, choosing instead to focus upon streaming and the occasional tournament appearance. Meanwhile, the American also talked up his chances of becoming an analyst, while a focus upon content creation could well see his 346,000 Twitch followers jump significnatly.

It seems that Cloud9 have a history of leaving players in the lerch, with Jacob “Hysteria” Reiser, a former Fortnite and Halo player, having shared a similar experience. Reiser signed a multi-year contract with Cloud9, before being released just three months into it. The veteran Esports pro revealed that he had also been offered little in the way of an explanation from the leading organization.

Cloud9 has so far failed to have their say on the matter, however it would be a surprise if they did not address their recent actions, as well as comments from former players, in the coming weeks.