In Overwatch 2, there are plenty of terms you’ll have to learn to be able to understand what the current gaming lingo is. There’s one, in particular, you might see throughout your games, and that’s a “C9.”
A C9 occurs when a squad fails to be on the payload in Overwatch 2 and the opposing team is far away from the fight. The overtime clock will run down to its dying milliseconds and every player will be too far away to stop it coming to an end because they’re so distracted, thus losing the game—even though there was no real danger pushing them off the payload.
Cloud9’s OW2 roster was the original perpetrator in the professional scene, twice. This is what a “C9” is, and odds are, you’ve definitely done it before. The team hasn’t lived it down since it occurred and like a Summit1G CS:GO molly, this bit of esports lingo will likely remain until its final days.
Where does C9 come from?
The term has been around for quite some time, even originating before OW2’s release. During 2017’s Overwatch Apex Season Two, a team made a name for themselves by making that same mistake twice in a best-of-three series.
Cloud9 got distracted both times while contesting the point, losing them the rounds. This was such a shock for all fans that the “C9 LUL” Overwatch meme was created.
Here’s the infamous 2017 moment in all its glory:
Let’s not forget, this happens to literally everyone playing Overwatch 2. It’s likely happened multiple times and it clearly happens to the best of us too.
OW2 games can become incredibly chaotic, and just a couple of seconds of breathing space can become a mental reset where players can barely remember their own names. All it takes is a simple error to quash another few meters, helping the team reach the next spawn point.
These moments deepen the rich history of esports like OW2.
Now you can say “C9 LUL” in chat and finally understand what it means.
