After being without a team since September 2025, Demon1 has joined Cloud9 as a substitute for Oxy for the VCT Americas 2026 Kickoff stage.
Maximilian “Demon1” Mazanov has officially joined Cloud9 as a substitute for Oxy, who has stepped away from VCT Americas due to a family emergency. With this move, Demon1 now ranks among the players with the most team transitions in the franchise era, marking his fifth time with a different organization.
Demon1 joins Cloud9
The VALORANT Champions 2023 winner will represent Cloud9 during the VCT Americas 2026 Kickoff stage as a substitute for Oxy. On Jan. 21, Oxy revealed that a family member had passed away, and he will be stepping away from competition for some time.
After being without a team since September 2025, when he last played as a substitute for Dragon Ranger Gaming, Demon1 had shared that he would consider retiring if he did not find a team for the 2026 season.
Cloud9 will be his fifth organization, placing him among the small group of players with the most team appearances since the start of VALORANT’s franchise era.
Demon1 path after Champions' glory
After emerging as one of the most promising talents in Tier 2, Demon1 was signed by Evil Geniuses in 2023. In just one year, the “super team” finished third in the VCT 2023: Americas League, placed second at Masters Tokyo, and won the VALORANT Champions 2023 title. Few teams matched their firepower that season. But by the end of the year, every player had parted ways with the organization.
However, after 2023, Demon1 did not have an easy life in VCT. Joining NRG in 2024, the player ended up being benched five months after joining the team. He was then set free to explore the market in October, joining Leaviatán.
The season did not bring any titles to the Argentinian organization. Demon1 was then moved to inactive status in May 2025. He did not compete for any team afterward, fueling rumors of a potential retirement.
However, in September 2025, he unexpectedly joined the Chinese organization Dragon Ranger Gaming as a substitute for Ilya “vo0kashu” Ushakov. The Russian player was unable to compete at VALORANT Champions 2025 due to visa issues. The team ended up being eliminated early in the tournament.
At the end of 2025, Demon1 opened up on stream, admitting that he might step away from competition in 2027 if he failed to secure a team for the 2026 season. One month later, the player revealed he would be joining Cloud9 as a substitute for Oxy. All eyes will be on his performance during the VCT Americas 2026: Kickoff stage.
The esports.gg team extends its condolences to Oxy and his family, friends, and loved ones during this difficult time.
