It’s official: Perfecto and electroNic get transferred to Cloud9

Cloud9 has officially added the former NAVI duo of Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy and Denis “electroNic” Sharipov to their roster.

The new recruits also herald the departure of IGLs Timur “buster” Tulepov and Vladislav “nafany” Gorshkov after a protracted period of mediocre performance. Dmitriy “sh1ro” Sokolov, Sergey “Ax1Le” Rykhtorov, and Abai “HObbit” Hasenov have also renewed their contracts with the company long-term, according to Cloud9’s CEO Jack Etienne. Cloud9’s IGL, nafany, has been a member of the team since 2019 when the core was still known by the name Gambit Youngsters, and he has helped them win numerous championships during the online period.

Be afraid. Be very afraid 😈 pic.twitter.com/PE2WHariHL

— Cloud9 CS:GO (@C9CSGO) July 14, 2023

 

On, the other hand, Buster, who had been added to the squad earlier this year to take Interz’s spot, is no longer on the active roster. The decision was made in response to a streak of subpar results by a team that ought to have been vying for the top prizes but, regrettably, even failed to qualify for the last CS:GO major, the BLAST.tv Paris Major.

Cloud9 makes electroNic and Perfecto’s signing official

Enis “electroNic” Sharipov joined NAVI in November 2017, beginning a heyday marked by great success and unforgettable experiences. Over the course of his six-year tenure electroNic won six significant LAN tournaments with NAVI, including PGL Major Stockholm, BLAST Premier: Global Final 2020, IEM Cologne, and Intel Grand Slam Season 3. 

In the years between 2018 and 2021, electroNic routinely made HLTV.org’s Top 20 Player of the Year, securing his place as one of the best players in the game thanks to his remarkable skills and persistent work. As a result, he became one of NAVI’s most deadly players and the team world’s most dominating squad. Perfecto, on the other hand, joined NAVI in January 2020 and quickly become the team’s main source of firepower alongside teammate Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev. 

Now it’s official. Today we’re saying goodbye to NAVI legends — @perfectocsgo and @electronicCSGO. Thank you for everything.

📰 https://t.co/mcUBky8EHx#CSGO #navination pic.twitter.com/gRNPhtZnKi

— NAVI (@natusvincere) July 14, 2023

 

The team’s performance, however, declined in 2022 as they failed to take home any awards; their last victory came at the BLAST Premier: Spring Finals 2022. This forced the organization to undertake a number of adjustments. Moreover, fans are outraged by Perfecto and Perfecto’s inclusion in the squad in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, though, they play under a neutral flag and do not represent the Russian Federation. 

Nevertheless, both players depart NAVI as one of the top 15 CS:GO players in terms of prize money won, courtesy of NAVI’s extraordinary Grand Slam winning streak in 2021 when the team won a number of international championships. The duo will make their debut under the Russian banner at the IEM Cologne, which is scheduled to start on July 29.

Cloud9’s revamped CS:GO roster:

• Dmitriy “sh1ro” Sokolov
• Sergey “Ax1Le” Rykhtorov
• Abai “HObbit” Hasenov
• Denis “electroNic” Sharipov
• Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy

Header: PGL | BLAST Premier