Cloud9 signs Team NP for TI7, five players get long-awaited homecoming
Let me start by saying this is a great acquisition by C9, and the transfers are official. Cloud9 signs Team NP with just two and half weeks to go before The International 7. There aren’t many details available at the moment regarding numbers or costs. However, it’s safe to say that the move will be positive by the middle of August. Cloud9’s first tournament with Team NP’s members will earn the organization a minimum of $50,000. That’s assuming C9 takes dead last in Seattle.
Cloud9 signs Team NP
It’s about time that Cloud9 signs Team NP. Dota 2 fans on Reddit anticipated this acquisition nearly nine months ago. I call this change of scenery a homecoming because each of NP’s players have played for Cloud9 in the past. For FATA-, the move back C9 shows a sort of resurgence; after departing from Team Liquid, FATA- looked wayward. He earned a 7-8th Place finish at TI6 with TL before playing with B)ears (disbanded April 2017). The same goes for MSS, who hasn’t joined a top org since leaving Cloud9 after a dead last finish at the Frankfurt Major in November of 2015.
Aui_2000 is another story. Rejoining Cloud9 doesn’t appear to be the greatest move of his career — not at all. After leaving Cloud9 in December of 2014, Aui_2000 joined Evil Geniuses and saw immediate success by winning the Dota 2 Asia Championships 2015 and TI5 with EG. However, his run with Digital Chaos was forgettable and he rejoined EG to little effect (missing TI6 altogether). That’s when he joined Team NP and reached The International again. However, the guys never won a title as Team NP.
pieliedie and EternaLEnVy both played with Team Secret after leaving Cloud9 almost two years ago. pieliedie stayed with Secret longer than EternaLEnVy because EE formed Team NP. Both players won titles with Secret and (along with Aui_2000) provide most of Cloud9’s veteran mentality and Dota experience at the moment.
Do you approve the move back to Cloud9? Will the homecoming be a success? Reach out on Twitter and remember to use #LetsTalkDota to connect with the author, @SheenSah.