In a shock announcement, Cloud9 have released star LCS head coach LS seemingly just minutes before their first game of Week 3. Max Waldo will be the team’s new head coach.

Cloud9 has suddenly released head coach Nick "LS" De Cesare, just minutes before their first game of LCS Week 3 against CLG. The controversial, opinionated streamer moving to coaching was huge news in the offseason, and his release is even more confusing as C9 was off to a 3-1 start in the LCS.

LS' contributions

Cloud9's roster was built around LS as a coach (Image via Cloud9)
Cloud9's roster was built around LS as a coach (Image via Cloud9)

LS has been the core piece Cloud9 have built around for this year. The team was structured around his philosophy - Academy players and coaches were brought in on his recommendation, and Cloud9 structured content around him for the first few weeks of the season.

Cloud9 has focused on the draft so far this season, a core part of LS' League of Legends philosophy. Coming into week three, they'd picked 19 unique champions out of a possible 20. It's hard to overstate just how unexpected this news is.

Cloud9's tweet sparks confusion

LS's surprise removal has left fans shocked (Image via Cloud9)
LS's surprise removal has left fans shocked (Image via Cloud9)

Announcing it just minutes before their LCS week three game against CLG, Cloud9's tweet immediately made waves. Many people thought it was a joke at first, outlining again the gravity of the news.

When Max Waldo took to the LCS stage as head coach, though, it seemed confirmed. Now, multiple reputable journalists in the scene have confirmed it as well. Hopefully more information on the situation will be forthcoming. Both LS and Cloud9 will also have to quickly determine the new directions they will be taking.

Lastly, the Cloud9 roster also seemed shaken up by the news. They started their match against last-place CLG poorly, and as of the time of publishing, CLG were well on their way to finishing the upset and securing their first win of the season.


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