Cloud9 stunned the Counter-Strike 2 community on Oct. 26 when they announced that superstar sh1ro was stepping down from the active roster and would be available for transfer. A day later, C9’s temporary replacement is someone who’s been rumored to join for quite some time.
The stand-in is none other than former CS:GO Major winner, Boombl4. Currently representing 1WIN, the 24-year-old has agreed to help C9 out in a game versus Fnatic at Thunderpick World Championship 2023. At the time of writing, it remains unknown whether Boombl4 is just a temporary sub, or if he could stay on the roster for a longer period.
For the past month or so, reports have suggested that Boombl4 was in talks with C9. The Russian was reportedly set to join the team to replace HObbit, releasing electroNic from his in-game leader duties, which Boombl4 would take over.
But, with the sudden departure of sh1ro, the plans have likely changed. The Russian player was C9’s biggest superstar, claiming third place in last year’s HLTV rankings. On top of that, there have been many more roster moves taking place on the CS2 scene lately, so the transfer market is more open than was originally expected.
With that in mind, it’s tough to anticipate any specific roster moves. If C9 wants to continue having a CIS roster, the GOAT of CS:GO may also be available, with s1mple announcing that he is taking a break from professional CS2 for a few months on Oct. 26.
Still, with so many roster moves lately, we can without a doubt claim the first CS2 rostermania is upon us.
