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Cloud9 are reportedly on the verge of signing Jordan ‘Zellsis’ Montemurro as part of the organization’s superteam in preparation for the Valorant Champions Tour 2023 season.
The esports team were one of the North American organizations selected by Riot Games for its Americas partnered league.
The game developer handed out only five slots to North American organizations. This allowed selected squads to pick out players from the vast number of players in teams that were unable to make the cut.
Cloud9 are undoubtedly making the most of the situation, especially with the number of new players the team are reportedly in the process of adding to their lineup.
The NA organization have their eyes set on a player from OpTic Gaming and Version1, Zellsis, as reported. Negotiations for the previously retired CS:GO player will reportedly be finalized soon, and the NA squad will welcome him into their ranks.
Cloud9 are also set to add former OpTics Gaming player Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker to the team’s roster, and according to reports, the acquisition is currently in its final stages.
Yay is statistically one of the best players in the world and is known for his impressive and consistent top scoreboard performance while with OpTic Gaming. With Zellsis on the team, Cloud9 will be one step closer to achieving their superteam and will likely be a more significant threat in the North American VCT league.
Other Cloud9 players currently on the team’s roster include Anthony “vanity” Malaspina, Nathan ‘leaf’ Orf, and Erick ‘Xeppaa’ Bach.
Zellsis earned the reputation as one of the most prominent initiators in the NA region. Last year, vanity, the current in-game leader of Cloud9, played alongside the formerly retired player in their time with Version1 shortly before his move to the NA team.
Together, the duo helped their team qualify for the VCT Stage Two Masters in Reykjavík, which took place in Iceland. Version1 reached the top six at the end of the tournament.
In August, Zellsis was given to the Sentinels on loan and played with the team during the North American Last Chance qualifier tournament. The squad competed in three games and recorded only one loss in their first match with The Guard.
With Zellsis in the lineup, the Sentinels were able to claim victory over Shopify Rebellion. However, they ultimately lost to 100 Thieves in the losers’ bracket second round, and 100 Thieves went on to win the tournament.
Cloud9’s matchup in the Americas league will be against some of the most popular esports teams. There, Zellsis will most likely have to play against his previous team, the Sentinels, as well as several other prominent squads like 100 Thieves and Evil Geniuses.
The first 2023 VCT event of the year will be the kick-off tournament, and the three-week event will start in February and come to a close in March. It will feature the three leagues, including all 30 partnered Valorant teams in São Paulo, Brazil.
