C9 makes official statement after surprise firing of LS

Cloud9 has given an official response following the surprise removal of Nick “LS” De Cesare from his position of Head Coach. The three-minute video saw Cloud9 CEO Jack Etienne sit down with players to address fans following the dismissal.

In the video, Jack outlines the reasoning for LS’s removal. He explains that Cloud9 had built a system for how coaches and the organization work together. He went on to state that LS didn’t work within that framework. “Despite our best efforts, working with LS, to come to terms and see eye-to-eye on how that should work, we were unable to make that actually happen.”

The statement expands on the problems, with Jack stating they made a mutual effort to try and resolve these issues. The video also addresses the timing, but explains that they wanted to make the move as swiftly as possible once a decision had been made. This way, they’d prevent further issues. Jack also explained that C9 ran out of time to make a more clear PR statement before the game. 

The video goes on to thank LS, praising his intelligence and building the C9 roster. It closes with statements from new coach Max Waldo, and players Summit and Blaber. They again praised LS, and affirmed their commitment to the team and its future.

However, the statement didn’t do much to placate fans who have been left in the dark since the surprise removal of LS from C9. The reasoning seemed generic, the tone more fitting of the driest PR email.

Suffice to say, fans and personalities from around the scene were not happy with the minimal response. The corporate-speak and “Wish you the best in your future endeavors”-style statement drew the ire of many. 

But for those more knowledgeable about corporate processes or the internal workings of LCS and League of Legends teams, C9's statement about LS spoke volumes. 

Overall the statement paints the picture of an outsider with a radical coaching strategy unable to fit into the checks and balances of a modern, corporate esports organization.

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