Cloud9 LCS head coach canned as super team dreams crumble

Mithy’s been working with Cloud9 for years, but he left the organization following a performance that fell far short of the expectations put on this super team roster.

Cloud9 is yet another “super team” that’s been cursed by the expectations that come with signing some of the very best players all at once. Though they managed to finish third place in the playoffs, that finish has resulted in them missing MSI 2024. It’s not the result they wanted.

Now, after over two years on and off as Cloud9’s coach, Mithy is stepping away from the team.

“It hurts me to announced that C9 and I have parted ways. While the team failed to meet its expectations, I have nothing but love and respect for the organization and its players,” he said in parting.

As for the expectations he was referring to, the signing of former LCS MVP jojopyun along with Berserker promised to be a carry duo that could roll through the region. Along with bringing back Vulcan while keeping Blaber and Fudge, this team was at the top of many fan and analyst power rankings at the start of the year.

Anything other than winning it all wasn’t good enough for this roster in the eyes of most, apparently including Mithy. Although the way they lost 3-0 to FlyQuest and then 3-0 again to Team Liquid didn’t exactly help fans confidence in the team, even if third place is a strong finish on paper.

Considering that behind-the-scenes footage from Cloud9’s team has Berserker punching walls and slamming doors, tensions were clearly high in the team. It’s not surprising to see something change, nor would it be all that much of a stretch for more team members to get cut.

As Cloud9 themselves put it, “Expect the unexpected.”

With jojopyun allegedly getting offers to play in the LCK because of how strong he is as a player, C9 justifying a run back in Summer with this roster seems unlikely. However, there’s a chance they switch up their coaching staff and try to find a way to make this team mesh.

That said, it isn’t yet clear who Cloud9 will be signing to coach their team instead regardless of what the roster ends up being. Although it’s probably safe to rule out LS.