Cloud9, one of the top VALORANT teams, is undergoing significant changes in the off-season. Their head coach, Matthew “mCe” Elmore, has left the organization on September 10th, opening up opportunities for him to explore coaching positions elsewhere in the 2024 season. This unexpected departure comes after mCe played a crucial role in helping Cloud9 recover from early season trades and guide them to a fourth-place finish in the league.
When the 2023 season began, Cloud9 appeared to be a superteam with notable signings like Jordan “Zellsis” Montemurro and Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker joining their already competitive core. MCe was brought in as the head coach after his successful 2022 season, where he led The Guard to the number one spot in North America. Despite facing initial challenges and the surprising departures of yay and Anthony “vanity” Malaspina, mCe made strategic roster moves by acquiring Jake “jakee” Anderson and Dylan “runi” Cade as replacements.
Despite doubts from fans following the early setbacks, mCe once again demonstrated his coaching prowess by leading an underrated roster to significant regional victories. Cloud9 regained the respect of fans who were concerned that the departures of key players had derailed their season. However, as the season progressed, Cloud9 failed to qualify for Masters Tokyo and Champions 2023, suffering defeats against lower-ranked teams like KRÜ Esports and Leviatán. The season ended on a disappointing note despite the team’s initial turnaround.
This left Cloud9 in a difficult position, as they witnessed both the positive impact mCe had at the beginning of the year and the team’s struggles towards the end. Ultimately, the decision was made to part ways with mCe, coinciding with Zellsis and runi also becoming free agents. mCe announced that he is open to various coaching opportunities, including assistant or collegiate coach roles. However, the upcoming roster changes in the Americas region for 2024 present numerous possibilities.
Interestingly, the core players who worked with mCe during his time with The Guard are now entering the franchised league for 2024. They had their own coach, Josh “JoshRT” Lee, but he was released along with the rest of the squad as they searched for a new organization to join the Americas league. Although it may seem like a late development, the reunion of mCe with his former players, who played a significant role in his rise as a head coach, appears to be a perfect fit in theory.
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Source: DOTESPORTS
