The unstoppable rise of Cloud9

Cloud9 is surging back to full strength at the right time!

It's true that the North American heroes floundered early in the NA LCS Summer Split without their former captain and mid laner Hai calling the shots. After repeatedly claiming top titles in the region since 2013, Cloud9 suddenly looked lost for the first time in their history.

But, halfway through the Split, Hai returned as the team's jungler to rally his team -- and especially his replacement, Solo Queue wunderkind and LCS initiate Incarnati0n. Hai's second coming invigorated the whole squad, who now look bold, clever, and decisive alongside their trusted leader.

Cloud9's support LemonNation is helping his team find fresh, powerful team compositions their opponents don't anticipate. Incarnati0n is winning his lane and maintaining control, even when his team falls behind. AD carry Sneaky is dominating with mechanical skills that rival the best ADCs in the world. Top laner Balls is showing flexibility in champion picks and strategies to be whatever his team needs at the time.

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"I know Hai's always backing me up, so I can do my own thing and he'll always have my back...I know that I can trust him."

- Incarnati0n, CLOUD9 MID LANER

And at the head of the pack, leading the charge, is Hai. His unconventional jungle picks, authoritative shotcalling, and vigilant support for his teammates make him the heart and soul of this rejuvenated roster.

The Play

Cloud9 have always had skilled players on their roster, but they never rely on individual skills to succeed. They rely on big-picture strategies that focus on player movements and taking objectives -- not getting kills onto carries. At their best, Cloud9 is calm, calculated, and thinking three steps ahead of their opponent. Their strength comes from working together as a single-minded unit. But it can also be their weakness.

When Cloud9 loses control of a game, they can't rely on a superstar to step up and single-handedly bring them back from the brink -- like Team SoloMid's Bjergsen or SKTelecom's Faker can. Instead, they must fall back on Hai's shotcalling and sound decision-making to keep the carries focused and the team in the game.

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Reaching Hai

Cloud9's insane climb through the 2015 NA LCS Summer Split Regional Qualifiers showed they're ready for the pressures of the Worlds stage.

They played 14 games in three days -- beating Gravity, Team Impulse, and Team Liquid in a terrifying gauntlet of back-to-back-to-back Best of 5 series' -- without showing signs of fatigue or doubt.

In both of the first two series, Cloud9 started 0-2. That's a very tough mental state to be in, knowing that, at every instant, a single mistake could mean elimination. Cloud9 showed amazing determination and focus to perform incredible reverse sweeps (three wins in a row) to move onto the next fight.

Cloud9 looks ferocious. Despite taking a beating for much of the past several months, they have somehow cultivated a mentality of being unbeatable. It's already carried them further than anyone expected -- perhaps it'll lead them all the way to the Summoner's Cup.

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Talk of the Rift

Cloud9's new chemistry started with Hai and Incarnati0n learning to trust each other. "Before every single game, I tell [Incarnati0n] I've got his back, and whatever he does I'll be there with him," says Hai.

"I think I've always been pretty good, but recently I've been much more confident... I know Hai's always backing me up, so I can do my own thing and he'll always have my back. He's helped me feel more confident and comfortable. I know that I can trust him," says Incarnati0n. 

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When Hai returned to the team, he promised Incarnati0n that he would get him to Worlds if Incarnati0n would carry him there. And he's about to get that chance. Cloud9 has grown tremendously in the past few months. They know what they want and now they know what they need to do to get it.

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Interested in learning more about the other teams competing at Worlds? Check out the whole lineup, now.