CS:GO: Cloud9 Adds ALEX As First Step In Roster Rebuild
| Tags: CS2
| Author Caroline Rutledge
ALEX is the first player to join Cloud9’s new project.
Cloud9 has signed former Team Vitality player Alex “ALEX” McMeekin as the first member of its new CS:GO roster, the American esports organization announced today. Cloud9 released its entire CS:GO division to pursue a complete roster rebuild earlier this month. ALEX joins general manager Henry “HenryG” Greer and coach Aleksandar “kassad” Trifunović under the C9 banner.
The 3rd page in #C9CSGO’s new chapter and the head of our Colossus has arrived.
A vital 1st addition as the team captain, welcome to Cloud9 @vitality_alex!
📰 (FR) Live interview with @neLendirekt for @1PVcs: https://t.co/56GWlLXwc2 pic.twitter.com/P14c9GnBbg— Cloud9 (@Cloud9) September 10, 2020
Team Vitality added ALEX in December of 2018, winning WePlay! Lock and Load shortly after his addition. The team then attended the IEM Katowice 2019 Major, only narrowly missing out on a play-offs appearance. Vitality stepped up their form under ALEX’s leadership in the summer of 2019, winning cs_summit 4 and the ECS Season 7 Finals. The French squad later secured second placings at ESL One Cologne and DreamHack Masters Malmö, while also reaching the quarter-finals of the StarLadder Berlin Major. Vitality closed out 2019 with a first-place finish at EPICENTER 2019.
Now On Cloud9
ALEX stepped down from the active Vitality roster in March of 2020, citing burnout from the team’s competitive schedule. The 24-year-old has been without a team since but now steps back into action under the Cloud9 name. The organization is undergoing a complete rebuild of its CS:GO division after releasing its entire roster on September 6th.
Leading the Cloud9 rebuild is former CS:GO commentator Henry “HenryG” Greer, who has taken on the role of general manager. Former 100 Thieves coach Aleksandar “kassad” Trifunović has been named as the team’s head coach. ALEX, who will act as in-game leader for the team, is the first player to be revealed for the new roster. In a Tweet, HenryG confirmed that ALEX has been signed to a three-year deal totaling $1.6 million.
There is currently no word on when the remaining members of Cloud9’s new lineup will be revealed.
Caroline is an esports journalist focusing on CS:GO. Starting out as a casual CS:GO fan, her interest quickly turned into a passion as she spent years studying the game. She has put that knowledge to use as a journalist, now writing about professional CS:GO for multiple websites including TheGamer.