Cloud9 sign former NAVI Major winner to CS2 roster following sh1ro exit

Cloud9 have announced the signing of former NAVI player Kirill ‘Boombl4’ Mikhaylov to replace the benched Dmitriy ‘sh1ro’ Sokolov.

Cloud9 are bringing in former NAVI player Boombl4 to replace sh1ro. The 22-year-old Russian player requested to move on from the Cloud9 CS2 lineup on October 26, 2023 as the organization benched him and made him available for transfer.

Before joining Cloud9 Boombl4 was playing with 1win after his exit from NAVI in early 2022. The IGL was benched by the team in mid-2022 after their second-place finish at the 2022 PGL Antwerp Major. It was later revealed that the player was let go more so because of a messy divorce with his now former-wife, than in-game issues.

Boombl4 will join a Cloud9 team that has two of his former teammates from NAVI. Both Denis ‘electroNic’ Sharipov and Ilya ‘Perfecto’ Zalutskiy were a part of the Ukrainian organization during its Major winning run in 2021.

Cloud9 add Booml4 to CS2 squad

The former NAVI player has been standing in for the organization in the 2023 Thunderpick World Championship and has helped the team to a 2-0 record so far.

The move comes as multiple teams around the world are moving players around due to the introduction of CS2 changing what they value. Currently, most teams don’t value AWPers as much in the new title as having five rifles seems to be the new meta.

This has caused even the best players to consider changing how they play as even Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyljev has said he is open to moving to primarily using rifles. Coincidently, s1mple, who was also a big part of NAVI’s Major win, has said he is open to seeing offers from other teams.

Whether Cloud9 will make more moves, or go after s1mple, for its European roster has yet to be seen.