Cloud9 sign buster, replace interz cover image

Cloud9 sign buster, replace interz

Cloud9 bring in Kazakh rifler buster to replace their long standing support interz

Cloud9 has broken up the longest-standing roster in CS:GO with the benching of Timofey "interz" Yakushin. interz moves to the bench to make space for former Outsiders rifler Timur "buster" Tulepov.

After nearly a month-long line of rumours surrounding the roster move, where names like Igor "⁠Forester⁠" Bezotecheskiy and Sanjar "⁠SANJI⁠" Kuliev were linked with the squad, the team has finally decided that the Kazakh player is their best bet.

buster returns to active duty with C9 after spending 6 months on the Outsiders bench. The 23-year-old was removed from the team shortly after their disappointing 12-14th run at the PGL Antwerp run. The tenure concluded with buster in supportive roles as stars Mareks "YEKINDAR" Gaļinskis and Evgeniy "FL1T" Lebedev took the limelight. But just a couple of years prior, buster was a star fragger and a crucial piece in the Avangar run to the finals of Starladder Berlin 2019 Major.

interz, meanwhile, ends his nearly four-year stint with the squad, going all the way back to when they were named Gambit Youngsters. The player was a part of the team's success in the online era, including their peak as the best team in the world.

Unfortunately for the boys in blue, interz has struggled ever since the team went to LAN and has averaged a team-low 0.98 rating in C9. Despite Ax1le and Sh1ro being two of the best players in the world, the team was unable to achieve regular success in 2022 outside of the asterisk-ridden run at IEM Dallas 2022. Cloud9 now pin their hopes on buster to help catalyse the team's return to the top.

Cloud9's new roster makes its debut at IEM Katowice Play-Ins on January 31. Cloud9 now is:

  • Sergey "⁠Ax1Le⁠" Rykhtorov
  • Abay "⁠HObbit⁠" Khasenov
  • Vladislav "⁠nafany⁠" Gorshkov
  • Dmitry "⁠sh1ro⁠" Sokolov
  • Timur "⁠buster⁠" Tulepov
  • Konstantin "⁠groove⁠" Pikiner (coach)

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