Overcome or overhaul: Cloud9's future-defining clash with Imperial

Is Vladislav "⁠nafany⁠" Gorshkov's squad at the end of the road or on a path to redemption?

Ranked fifth in the world, fourth favorite for the Major according to our power rankings, semi-finalists at the last big event, and with two of the best performers of this year in their ranks — Cloud9 are on the brink of elimination after the first day of the Major.

An uphill battle like none they've faced before now awaits the team for whom anything less than making playoffs would be considered a disappointment heading into Brazil. They sit on a 0-2 record in the Challengers Stage of the IEM Rio Major, requiring three wins in a row just to stay alive, with their first opponent being a fan favorite they have a score to settle with.

While the situation is dire, having their backs against the wall might be exactly what Cloud9 need to ascend to the level of greatness they have been on the brink of for so long.

23-25, 16-9, 3-16.

Those were the maps scores of the Cloud9 - Imperial match that was won by Gabriel "⁠FalleN⁠" Toledo and co. at PGL Antwerp, eliminating the Russian squad in shocking fashion.

That result encapsulates everything that we know about these two teams: Cloud9 are a young, promising squad, but crumble under pressure and can't show their peak "online era" form on LAN. Imperial, on the other hand, might be past their prime and not look impressive on a day-to-day basis, but can never be counted out, especially when it matters the most.

Since then, little has changed.

We all know that, on paper, Cloud9 are by far the better team. And even in their losses so far at IEM Rio, one could argue they have displayed more than Imperial have. Overtime defeats to a well-playing fnatic and in a tech-issue-plagued game against Grayhound looked better than what Imperial have managed to show, having been 13-2 down after the first halves against Vitality and 9z, with the rest of the maps feeling more like a formality than a strongly contested affair.

But all of that is of little importance for the Cloud9 - Imperial game that awaits because Counter-Strike is, after all, a mental game as much as it is a first-person shooter.

And that is an area where Imperial certainly have an edge. Playing with no pressure, in front of the home crowd that adores them, having been there and done that countless of times. Against a team that struggles on big stages and whose dreams they have already crushed once before — even before upgrading Lincoln "⁠fnx⁠" Lau to Marcelo "⁠chelo⁠" Cespedes.

All of that makes this game a defining moment for Cloud9.

To continue their hero's journey in Rio they must revisit their nemesis and prove they have grown since the first encounter by overcoming not just Imperial, but the demons within themselves. The fear of defeat, the stage jitters, the self-doubt. That is exactly what Cloud9 are missing, and have been missing since the online era ended. The killer instinct, the championship mentality that the greatest teams have had: knowing they will prevail, no matter the odds or opponent.

Yes, there are many dangerous teams still in the Challengers Stage, but none of them should be an issue for a well-playing Cloud9 that breaks through their own mental barriers. If they can beat Imperial, it is easy to see how nafany and co. could run it back to 3-2 and advance to the next stage, where everything resets.

Or maybe they don't. Maybe they falter once again, ending their tournament run much earlier than anyone would've expected. Maybe Dmitry "⁠sh1ro⁠" Sokolov continues his incredible run at the event (1.71 rating from two maps), but his sidekick Sergey "⁠Ax1Le⁠" Rykhtorov remains missing (0.92 rating from two maps) and Cloud9 simply can't match up against the veterans on their home soil.

But that is when hard questions have to be asked. Our writer Harry "NER0" Richards compared the current Cloud9 roster to the TSM squad of 2015, who were labeled chokers for the longest time until eventually breaking through and winning five titles in the year.

But if the young squad can't unlock their playoff potential through natural progression, a lineup change must be the option Cloud9 look into.