C9 Zellsis shares his thoughts on the latest duelist nerfs, the team’s Kickoff performance, and explains how those experiences are shaping their approach moving forward.
While the Kickoff stage may have been disappointing for fans who didn’t see Cloud9 (C9) qualify for an international event, for Jordan “Zellsis” Montemurro, it was a valuable experience in understanding what the team needs to become to win. In the new role of in-game leader, Zellsis is confident in their roster and their potential to reach further both regionally and internationally.
In an interview with esports.gg, the player shared his thoughts on the latest duelist nerfs, the team’s takeaways from Kickoff, and their approach to the next stage, as well as how age can shape a professional player’s perspective on the game and their future.
The in-game leader experience
At the end of 2025, in an interview with esports.gg, Jordan “Zellsis” Montemurro shared that he served as a secondary shot-caller for Sentinels, gaining that experience despite not holding the official title. As a result, he was already excited about stepping into a full in-game leader (IGL) role with Cloud9.
Almost five months and a Kickoff stage later, he revealed to be learning a lot in this new role. “We played a lot of matches, so I had a lot of time to reflect and go over things for myself,” Zellsis explained. “I’d say it was a successful Kickoff, all things considered.”
The Cloud9 IGL described the stage as “very competitive,” despite admitting they had thrown their match against 100 Thieves. “I’m happy with our performance. Of course, I’m not ecstatic. But I’m not completely sad or mad either; I think we played pretty well.”
In between stages, Cloud9 went back to the drawing board and established a clear system of how the team wants to approach the VCT Americas 2026: Stage 1. “It’s been a good time to work hard, get everything down, and make sure we’re focused on the fundamentals of the game,” Zellsis stated. “When I first joined C9, there was a big conversation around the team that their fundamentals were a little bit lacking. They were great against the lesser teams, but then when they played the better teams, they just lacked the one extra step, so those were the things we focused on.”
Pistol rounds were also a major issue, but Zellsis hopes those problems are now resolved.
C9 Zellsis reflects on the team growth and meta chances
For Zellsis, the Kickoff was the start of a different Cloud9 heading to the next stage. The in-game leader believes the team has improved a lot since the beginning of the year, and they’re confident and excited for Stage 1. “I think the things we needed to improve, we have. We still have London, Shanghai, and even the EWC. We have three internationals, three chances, and I would like to make all of them.”
Jokingly, Zellsis said he’d love to see a meta without duelists. “If we go no duelist, I’m down,” he laughed. “I don’t think duelists are broken, but Waylay shouldn’t be able to fly in, kill me, refract, and get out without any risk. I don’t think a duelist should be able to do that.”
As for Neon, C9 Zellsis doesn’t view the agent as overpowered. Rather, he points to shotguns as the real issue. “A judge could not kill you from 10 feet away, and the shorty, for a $300 gun, it’s too broken.” On the other side, Riot Games ended Yoru with the latest nerfs. “They nerfed him too hard. I think Riot is in a good direction of nerfs and buffs, but I would like to see sentinels get buffed as well, like Cypher, Vyse, Killjoy, even Sage.”
While these changes might be impactful for the current meta, the IGL does not believe they will change much in the region. “People will always find a way to abuse duelists,” he added.
C9 Zellsis x penny duo
Zellsis and Erik “penny” Penny first teamed up on Version1 back in 2021–2022, and now, nearly four years later, they’re back together on Cloud9. For Zellsis, though, nothing’s changed. “We’ve always had great synergy, and that’s why we work so well,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for him. He’s super smart, composed, and fundamentally solid.”
The IGL also spoke about how well they get along and praised his talent. “I still don’t think he’s received the recognition he deserves, and I’m just glad to be playing with him again.”
The age conversation
The age conversation usually surfaces when the professional players get closer to the 30s. It happened with FNC Jake “Boaster” Howlett and, most recently, G2 Andrej “babybay” Francisty. For Zellsis, who recently turned 28, it’s not about age itself, but rather the priorities and goals you begin to shape for your life at that stage.
“Your age catches up to you, obviously. The younger you are, the faster your reactions are,” Zellsis commented. “I’ve always said that as players get older, it’s not much about the talent or skill they lose, it’s the fact they lose the drive and the priority of the game.”
In his opinion, the biggest chance comes to your priorities. “When you’re 18, you don’t want a girlfriend or have kids, but when you reach my age, you start to think about finding a wife, having kids, buying a house, building this life,” he stated. “I’ve always said it’s not really the talent, but your life priorities. Maybe you don’t want to play the game 12 hours a day or have your whole life based around the game. You might want to enjoy it while you’re young!”
The Cloud9 squad comes back to the VCT Americas 2026: Stage 1 on April 12 to play against Leviatán. You can watch all the matches on the VCT Americas official Twitch and YouTube channels.