Didn’t even have to wait seven years!

Californian esports organization Cloud9 is rumored to soon re-enter Call of Duty. They will reportedly acquire the CDL 2023 champions, the New York Subliners, ahead of the CDL 2025 season.

With countless fans across various esports, many are excited to see Cloud9 return to CoD after their late 2017 departure.

Cloud9 to acquire Call of Duty's reigning champs

New York Subliners lifting the CDL 2023 Championship trophy (Image via Subliners)
New York Subliners lifting the CDL 2023 Championship trophy (Image via Subliners)

According to sources close to Sheep Esports, Cloud9 will initially be re-entering Call of Duty via a partnership with the New York Subliners. It is unclear what exactly this partnership entails, but it is the second one C9 will enter this calendar year. Earlier this month, Cloud9 announced a presumably similar arrangement with R6 Manchester Major winners Beastcoast.

The partnership with NYSL is a short-term move for the duration of the Esports World Cup. Cloud9 aims to add EWC's Call of Duty MW3 tournament to the list of competitions it is partaking in. The addition of a CoD team will increase the number of esports C9 competes in at this year's Esports World Cup in Riyadh to a whopping fifteen.

Looking forward to 2025 and the CDL season

The next stage in Cloud9's return to Call of Duty will allegedly be a merger acquisition of the Subliners' parent company, NYXL. The New York-based gaming entertainment brand also owns the Excelsior Overwatch team and is owned by Sterling Equities, a majority stakeholder of the New York Mets in the MLB.

If the acquisition does happen, Cloud9 will be returning to Call of Duty in style. After all, the New York Subliners took home the trophy at the CDL 2023 Championship. The new roster should set up C9 nicely for a strong start to the CDL 2025 season.

Stay tuned to esports.gg for more esports news and Call of Duty coverage.