Top laner Ibrahim "Fudge" Allami is set to continue as Cloud9’s top laner for the upcoming year of the League Championship Series (LCS), according to sources close to Sheep Esports. Interestingly, Cloud9 also showed interest in Fnatic’s danish top laner Martin "Wunder" Nordahl, Cloud9 ultimately decided to retain Fudge and keep him as their starting top laner for next year.
Final Cloud9 roster for the 2024 LCS Season:
Top - Brahim "Fudge" Allami
Jungle - Robert "Blaber" Huang
Mid - Joseph Joon "jojopyun" Pyun
Bot Lane - Kim "Berserker" Min-cheol
Support - Philippe "Vulcan" Laflamme
Fudge and Blaber at the 2023 LCS Asset Day shoot
Looking back on this year
This year, Cloud9 had a lot of regional success. In spring, the team would go on to win both the regular season and the playoffs, sweeping through the competition with ease. However, the team’s success would dwindle slightly during the summer split, during which the team struggled to uphold their early performances, ultimately finishing in second place during the summer split and falling to NRG in the LCS 2023 Championship.
At Worlds 2023, despite starting off well by beating MAD Lions in a best of one match, Cloud9 struggled to prove themselves in the swiss stage. First losing against T1 and LNG, the team would fail to take a single game against eastern teams. Later, C9 would fall to Fnatic in a best of three series, leading to a disappointingly early exit from the tournament and putting an end to their 2023 season.
Despite mediocre international results, Cloud9 is now building upon their good regional results and trying to continue their streak of regional dominance.
Berserker poses at Worlds 2023
The future
The 2023 season marked Cloud9's tenth appearance at the World Championship. Historically a prominent contender in the LCS, the organization is now setting its sights on dominating the competition in the future.
With the addition of 19-year-old Canadian MVP mid laner
Joseph Joon "jojopyun" Pyun and the return of Québécois support
Philippe "Vulcan" Laflamme, Cloud9 is poised to be the favorites in the LCS for the upcoming year, with Fudge, Blaber, and Berserker now confirmed to stay with the organization.
With this formidable roster, Cloud9 appears to be the frontrunners to clinch the LCS championship once again. The organization has a consistent track record of contending for the LCS title, and the upcoming year promises to be no different. Cloud9 has its sights set on excelling both regionally and internationally with this roster.
