What does C9 mean in Overwatch 2? Game’s biggest meme & history explained

What does C9 mean in Overwatch 2? Here’s everything you need to know about this term that’s been around since 2017.

Overwatch 2 has a ton of in-game terms, like ‘Beyblade’, ‘one-trick’, and even ‘pocket’, among others. And if you haven’t been in the loop since 2016, they can be hard to keep track of. That said, one term in the game’s unique lingo that’s commonly used to this day, either in-game or Twitch streams, is “C9.”

Chances are you’ve probably seen someone typing this in your match chat after a round as well. But what exactly does it mean? And where did it come from?

For those who just started jumping into the game, check out everything you need to know about the meaning of C9 in Overwatch 2. Who knows, you might be guilty of accidentally pulling this off yourself.

What does C9 mean in Overwatch 2?

C9 is a term used to describe a situation in Overwatch 2 where a round is lost because a team forgets to stay on the point or payload. This could be because they chose to chase kills instead of staying or securing the objective.

There’s a point in your game where the progress can hit “Overtime” if both teams are contesting the objective. If you or your teammates step off even just an inch from the point during that time, then the match will conclude.

Leaving the point or payload to chase that one health Mercy during that time counts as a C9. Or if your team goes all the way to the enemy’s spawn, completely forgetting the payload until the timer runs out.

On the other hand, not being able to make it to the point from spawn or getting completely team-wiped when you’re on the point are not considered C9. Though nowadays, it’s common to see this term being used regardless of the situation.

Additionally, the term C9 is commonly used with back-capping despite having different meanings. Back-capping means that someone is pushing the objective while the enemy is distracted, often leading to them C9-ing.

The origin of the term C9 in Overwatch

The term C9 originated from a mistake made by a professional Overwatch 2 team called Cloud9, who didn’t touch the objective despite some of the players in the team still alive and nearby. This happened on the Lijiang Tower map against Afreeca Freecs Blue in Overwatch Apex Season 2 in 2017.

The same thing happened multiple times, including the one in the 2CP Volskaya map where the entire team failed to contest the objective, leading to the term C9 being born. Since then, C9 has been used to refer to this situation.

Every once in a while, you’ll likely find someone spamming this in chat, something along the lines of “C9 LUL” or “z9,” despite that not being the case. Well, now that you know what C9 means, it’s your call to educate them.