Cloud9 unexpectedly releases two of its top Fortnite players.
A shocking and unexpected development transpired on Friday between professional esports organization Cloud9 and two of its marquee Fortnite players - Noah “Vivid” Wright and Ryan “Chap” Chaplo. Although C9 has not addressed what occurred public, Vivid confirmed that he and former teammate Chap have been released from their contract with the organization. Both players signed with Cloud9 in the Fall of 2020 alongside Avery, nosh and Fryst. It’s not clear at this point where the remainder of the roster stands. Chap has yet to release a statement regarding this news, instead opting to retweet Vivid’s Twitlonger post for all to see.
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Cloud9 Releases Vivid and Chap
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The Fortnite World Cup Finalist’s lengthy Twitter post provided his recount of the situation that unfolded between himself, Chap and the organization both have been apart of for only a few months.
“To explain the situation... got a message yesterday inquiring about having a meeting today. Then today got into the meeting with the Fortnite manager (Robin) over at C9 who basically immediately informed me that myself and Chap would be getting released today. There was no real explanation,” wrote Vivid on Twitter. “I doubt Robin knew why as the only explanation he got for the decision was "visibility." Not entirely sure what that means but figured I'd let you guys know as much as I do. As far as I know, Avery, Nosh, and Fryst are still on the C9 roster and have no idea what C9's plans are for the future of Fortnite.”
Vivid's statement
This unexpected situation occurred in the aftermath of Cloud9’s recent North American Fortnite talent grab. Unfortunately for Chap and Vivid, they received no genuine explanation from Cloud9 regarding their decision. Vivid continued his statement, speaking on how bizarre contracts can be in esports. “I'm not mad or upset at C9. I understand that it's just business. But I just think it's just crazy how we can commit to an org for 2-3 years and have no say what or where we go but then they can decide to do whatever they want with us whenever they want,” he wrote. “I'm not going to be an advocate for it, but I really hope there are some changes for the sake of the players.”
After airing his grievances with the situation, Vivid reminisced about his time with Team Liquid and how heartbroken he was to leave the organization. “This whole situation has made me appreciate the guys over at Team Liquid so much more. No offense to C9 but it genuinely broke my heart to leave Team Liquid because I know what kind of people are at Liquid and I genuinely saw myself spending, what could have been, the rest of my life there,” continued Vivid. He and Chap spent about two years with Team Liquid before exploring free agency. This situation between two veteran Fortnite players and an established esports organization also led to Vivid announcing his retirement from the game he experienced growth in many years ago.
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Vivid Retires from Fortnite
On top of Cloud9 inexplicably releasing Vivid and Chap, the former took a moment to officially reveal that he will no longer fully focus on competitive Fortnite. “I guess you can say I retire. I expect myself to still play Fortnite and stream it and still compete in some tournaments. But scrims? Haven't been fun in a while and I don't want to play them so I'm not going to. Want to go back to being happy and doing something I enjoy,” wrote Vivid. Despite a hall of fame-type career, the former Team Liquid and Cloud9 member does not find the same enjoyment that he once did in Fortnite. Vivid did leave the door open for a possible analyst role for future tournaments given that he still enjoys the game to some level and its community.
“Hopefully the community still accepts me in some way shape or form. But I would like to become, of sorts, an analyst,” he stated. “Would love to be included in the broadcasts as someone who can explain the things that are happening in the game and why they are happening on a level that no one else has done before. I think my experience and knowledge of the game could really up the level of these segments. We shall see.” As for Chap, he still has not directly referenced his release from Cloud9 other than a tweet stating that he is a free agent.
Former Cloud9 Pro Explains a Similar Story
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Jacob “Hysteria” Reiser - a previous professional Fortnite and Halo player - chimed in after Vivid went public with the news regarding Cloud9. He explained that he too signed a multi-year contract with the organization but was released three months later. Hysteria also received no clear explanation from Cloud9. This tidbit of information adds another layer to an already strange occurrence.
Statement from Cloud9
After the story of Vivid and Chap’s release went public, Cloud9 CEO Jack Etienne took to Reddit with a response:
“These drops may appear random but [sic] thee were carefully considered decisions: These players were released after falling short across a range of metrics including but not limited to competitive performance. We wish them the best in the future.”
Although both players secured a multi-year contract, Cloud9 exercised their right to terminate those deals. Many top personalities went to bat for Chap and Vivid in the wake of their unexpected release from the organization. Nonetheless, both former Cloud9 players will move on with only the explanation provided by Jack Etienne.
Stay tuned to ESTNN for more updates on this developing story.
Featured Image: Cloud9
