Cloud9 New York has parted ways with three of its four players ahead of the Call of Duty League’s (CDL) Major 2 qualifiers.
The franchise, operated by North American esports organisation Cloud9, finished the opening Major of the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 season in last place.
UPDATE 04/02/26: Cloud9 New York has officially released its entire CDL roster, including Mackenzie ‘Mack’ Kelley. The article has been changed to reflect the new information.
While the franchise has yet to comment on its roster changes ahead of the next wave of online qualifiers, the team of Reece ‘Vivid‘ Drost, Ben ‘Beans‘ McMellon, Mackenzie ‘Mack‘ Kelley and Marcus ‘Afro‘ Reid have confirmed their free agencies following a disappointing opening Major.
The team’s season began on the back foot, earning a win-to-loss record of 1-6 during the five weeks of Major 1 qualifiers. Its sole victory came in week five, where Cloud9 New York scored a 3-0 sweep over Vancouver Surge.
“After a disappointing start to the year, we have decided to begin a full rebuild of our Call of Duty roster,” wrote Cloud9 on social media. “To ensure our players are able to pursue every opportunity available for the next stage of the season, we are releasing them immediately.”
The online qualifiers could’ve yielded a different outcome for the team, with five of six matches going to game five; however, the opponents emerged victorious.
“Sorry to the C9 fans that we couldn’t get the results needed to be better, and that’s on us,” wrote Afro on social media.
“No complaints,” added Beans. “Did not play anything like I know I can. Focusing on myself and locking in.”
What’s Next for Cloud9 New York?
With Cloud9 New York looking to fill the void following the departure of the four players., the franchise has a limited window to sign new players as it prepares for the Major 2 qualifiers.
Taking place online from February 13th to March 22nd, 12 teams will compete to earn CDL Points that determine seeding for the second LAN event of the season.
Unlike Major 1, only ten of the 12 teams will qualify for DreamHack Birmingham, the first CDL event in six years to be hosted in the UK.
