Cloud9 CEO Jack Etienne has responded to rumors that the organization is plotting a return to Counter-Strike 2 with a promising Academy squad, as fans started to get excited over the prospect of one of the biggest and most popular teams in the world coming back to CS.

The last time Cloud9 was in Counter-Strike was only a few short months prior to this rumor starting, when they were at the Perfect World Shanghai Major in December 2024. The tournament was a disappointing one, with the team unable to get past the Opening Stage of the tournament.

In years gone by, however, Cloud9 was huge in CS, with some big wins at IEM Dallas 2022 and, most notably, the ELEAGUE Major in Boston in 2018.

While they’ve only been absent from Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) for a short while, fans want to see them return, and this looked possible when the rumor mill started, linking them to negotiations with the NaVi Junior squad.

However, just hours after the rumors surfaced, Etienne was quick to dispel them and to temper expectations.

Taking to the Cloud9 subreddit, he simply said: “This is a false rumor, sorry guys.”

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While Jack denied this rumor, he didn’t outright say that Cloud9 isn’t seeking a return to CS2 – just that the rumor surrounding this particular roster isn’t accurate.

C9 has been dealing with its own problems in other titles at the time of this rumor picking up traction. Their Super Smash Bros. star Mang0, who had been with them since 2014, was removed from the organization following viral Twitch clips of him harassing women at a streamer event.