Ax1Le returns to Cloud9 for IEM Cologne playoffs

2-8-2023 19:06

The Russian rifler has secured a visa in time for Cloud9's match against Vitality.

Ax1Le is back in time for the playoffs of IEM Cologne

Sergey "⁠Ax1Le⁠" Rykhtorov has secured a visa and is en route to Germany to join the rest of his team for the playoffs of IEM Cologne, Cloud9 has announced.

Ax1Le to miss IEM Cologne group stage

The 21-year-old rifler couldn't make it for the group stage of the event and was replaced by Timur "⁠buster⁠" Tulepov, but Cloud9 still managed to reach the playoffs without him by completing a run through the lower bracket with wins over 9INE, Monte, and GamerLegion.

Cloud9 made headlines with the most exciting transfer of the off-season, adding Denis "⁠electroNic⁠" Sharipov and Ilya "⁠Perfecto⁠" Zalutskiy on transfer from Natus Vincere to replace Vladislav "⁠nafany⁠" Gorshkov and buster. The two new additions fit perfectly into the team role-wise, and even during the group stage, Cloud9 looked an entirely reinvigorated side.

Stat check: How Cloud9's marquee signings fit like a glove

Now, we'll finally be able to see them at full force as star rifler Ax1Le can return to the server in time for the team's quarter-final match in the Lanxess Arena, where they will play Vitality.

Dan "⁠apEX⁠" Madesclaire's men won't have much data to work with as Cloud9 have stated in interviews that they have been playing more like a mix-team with buster, and the Russian team can now unveil the full might of their complete lineup as they take aim at the trophy.

Date	Matches
IEM Cologne 2023
04/08/2023	Vitality 15:30 Cloud9	Match

Cloud9's complete roster is:

Dmitry "⁠sh1ro⁠" Sokolov
Sergey "⁠Ax1Le⁠" Rykhtorov
Abay "⁠HObbit⁠" Khassenov
Denis "⁠electroNic⁠" Sharipov
Ilya "⁠Perfecto⁠" Zalutskiy

Konstantin "⁠groove⁠" Pikiner (coach)

Oh my god. Let's go!

2023-08-02 19:06

22 replies

Lets Go

2023-08-02 19:07

16 replies

no buster no win

2023-08-02 19:10

15 replies

if this will be the case then i dont know what to say

2023-08-02 19:18

8 replies

GREAT!!! that was absurd not to give visa but EU politics lol

2023-08-02 19:21

3 replies

RIP fantasy

2023-08-02 19:55

1 reply

you can still change it

2023-08-03 04:54

c9 champion 4 sure

2023-08-02 23:47

it looks like improvement but C9 are still look too raw to overwhelm Vit. Sad...

2023-08-02 21:05

well so far theyve been saying they were only practising with ax1le and not buster so maybe it wont be that bad after all

2023-08-02 21:47

2 replies

This will still be 2-1 for vit don't be fooled

2023-08-02 22:19

cant argue with someone rocking this combo

2023-08-02 22:49

funny you say that since he bottom fragged 6/11 maps. That is more than 50% and on none of the maps he didn't bottom frag, was he top fragging. Also only on 2 of the maps that he didn't bottom frag at, he had a positive KD. but Ax1le the goat is back and ready to win Cologne 🤙

2023-08-02 20:00

4 replies

Germans try to get a joke challenge

2023-08-02 20:05

bro 😭 I was clearly joking aswell?? Who does such an in-depth explanation on HLTV?

2023-08-02 21:37

many people write such essays for e-peen including you

2023-08-02 22:20

alright g 🤙

2023-08-03 00:21

Lets freaking fuck*ng Gooooooooooooo

2023-08-02 19:14

RIP vitality

2023-08-02 19:46

Amazing news.

2023-08-02 22:14

told you guys this cloud9 roster will be a top10 team at best and will not win any trophies

2023-08-22 16:39

Chill?

2023-08-22 17:16

C9 will be dangerous af

2023-08-03 12:39

Pog

LETS GO

Its happening. Everyone stay calm.

6 replies

LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

LETS A GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

2023-08-02 20:30

It's so over.

2023-08-02 20:54

HOLY FUCKING FUCK CALM DOWN?! CALMDOWN?!?!

2023-08-02 21:24

CALM!!!!!!!!???????????????????????????????????????????????

:OOOOOOOOOO

2023-08-03 09:13

LETS MUCKING GOOOOO

we have never been so back

We? Flag check

flair check. also youre a navi fan with no british players in navi, what are you on about

2023-08-02 22:09

5 replies

I'm a fan of these current NaVi boys mate, I don't identify alongside them haha. This dude or you saying 'we' for an American org with 4 Russians and a Kazakhstani with either a UK or German flag is just a little wacky to me is all.

2023-08-02 23:03

if hes a part of the fan community (hobbit flair) i dont see why he cant say we. am i missing sth?

2023-08-03 02:00

"you can't be a fan of this team you're not from the same country" "I like this team even though I'm not from the same country" greatest mind in the hltv forums.

2023-08-03 20:55

taking it far too personally you sausage, read my comment again as well. The difference is that you identify with them and I don't is all, was just funny to me.

2023-08-03 22:16

if youre a fan you automatically somewhat identify. furthermore the gentleman could have russian or kazakh ancestry/parents

2023-08-04 13:56

it's so over -> we're so back Life always finds a way XD

2023-08-02 23:05

shit just got real

2023-08-02 19:08

THEY JUST GOT IT REAAAL

2023-08-02 22:10

Real.

2023-08-02 23:30

And now they lose imagine

11 replies

hltv forums going "buster > ax1le" for 3 days

9 replies

finally, he got too much shit from everyone for too long

2023-08-02 19:26

he has 0.91 rating without being igl, thats worse than jacks..

He gets put in a new role that he never played and played under a new IGL. Yet you still blame the man.

2023-08-03 07:23

im not but i see why others do blame him

2023-08-03 14:13

While his performance have generally been disappointing compared to the player he was in VP up until 2020-early2021, they need to be put in perspective by the awful roles/positions he had

2023-08-03 22:47

Buster unseen impact? New sanji????11?1??1?!!!

2023-08-02 21:15

Buster da real glue player, without him hobbit and perfecto will fight each other to the death on stage in front of 18000 ppl cologne audience

2023-08-02 22:21

I think HObbit the karate master would win

2023-08-03 02:28

Hahaha

2023-08-03 05:05

I mean they are playing Vitality, not exactly a easy game is it. Just imagine the threads tho

2023-08-02 19:23

LETS GOOOO C9 !!!!

Can't wait to see the team at full force

HUGE W

It's over, guys

we are so back

gonna be a banger

2023-08-02 19:09

LET'S GOOOOO

pog

What's more to follow?

Nice! But imagine if bro come just to lose 1 game and go home again xD

yeeeeeeeeeeah

i just got a boner

understand ur feelings

Flair

2023-08-02 19:11

Damn they are going to be happy they held off long enough and just scraped by to get to this point with buster. Now we can see what they are really made of

Made of tinfoil and plywood

2023-08-02 22:22

Plywood is pretty solid. How thick are we talkin here? 3/4” plywood? I’d put my money on that

2023-08-02 23:41

Fuck yeah,going to be an insane match

G2 vs Cloud9 gonna be lit final .

Yeah, that's the final I'm waiting for

2023-08-02 19:13

wet dream of every russian

2023-08-03 04:57

Nah, they both falter to ENCE

2023-08-02 20:53

lol g2 is not getting past heroic

2023-08-03 02:31

Idk if im braindead, but i really think they have a chance to beat vita

why wouldn't they?

if Hooxi did it, C9 obviously have chance

2023-08-02 19:38

nah, hooxi was a genius with good preparation and c9 has no igl

2023-08-03 05:00

they have a good chance vita sucks

2023-08-03 02:32

can he win mvp since he missed so many games already? would he be taken in consideration with lets say just 6-7 maps? cuz by that time other players that will reach final will probably have like 14-15 maps ?

2023-08-02 19:12

literally impossible due to system they worked with.

good, i wanted to see full roster in action.

Buster is a really good guy props to him

2023-08-02 19:41

Mazel tov !

time for him to put up buster numbers 😎

Kinda feeling bad for buster but thats how it works. I hope just like jks did in Kato he will be crowned cologne champions in case c9 wins it

he should , he helped team so secure playoffs , so that's enough impact to get him a trophy

2023-08-02 19:27

7 replies

Helped 🤣 strong words, bottomfragger on most maps, no real impact...

2023-08-02 20:37

that's just how things goes in some days, ofc he was bad back in an actual roster, but in star roles of axile he maybe could've had a better game , but as hobbit said , he wasn't practising with them, and also he was on a vacation, not playing any cs, so its still ok result considering the situation , ofc he was bottom frag , but it wasnt 20-30 kills per BO3

2023-08-02 20:57

'but in star roles of axile he maybe could've had a better game' 'if he would be s1mple he would be better' xD

2023-08-02 21:18

if he had any practice in cs-go he would've had at least 1.03 rating and not 0.85 in star roles

2023-08-02 21:39

they wouldnt have participated in cologne if he decided to not join them , he played hard roles & without preparation /w different leader ship , i would say him stepping atleast in one map in the whole bo3 is a good thing he did for the team

2023-08-03 00:22

i'd say he shouldn't be as he is the only reason they fell into lower in the 1st place. Him being there instead of Ax1Le i mean... So with those circumstances in mind i say: good riddance/rip bozo. Whatever suits you better. Won't be missing buster... daym i sound like a hater...

2023-08-03 00:13

they losed first match not because they had buster, but because there was no axile , so buster is not the problem, he haven't played in a while cuz he was benched , so he played how he played , and there's nothing to do about it, he did his job and give time for axile to arrive , so he should not be hated for that reason

2023-08-03 13:31

POG

LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

They will destroy vitality

2023-08-02 19:15

Yeaaaah

2023-08-02 19:17

Bye bye Vitality

will be eliminated by vitality anyways

lol. apex will gift them 3 rounds per map easily. add axile firepower is ez for c9

ax1le turns into a bot when he plays in the arena, the only exception was dallas

2023-08-02 19:31

Bro you're delusional he is far from a bot even if he plays worse in arena and is several times better than Booster.

2023-08-02 19:49

yes mens ez, ax1le is a bot as expected

2023-08-04 18:36

got owned on t side entries. too much baiting going in c9 on the t side. hobbit is useless as a lurk on mirage.

2023-08-04 18:37

Pog cant wait to see this lineup in action

let's go

Cya vitality

Well... Vitality are in for a rough time, that's for sure...

what an analysis

2023-08-02 23:12

I didn't realise that I needed to give an analysis in order to share my thoughts on the situation...

2023-08-02 23:20

rip vitality

2023-08-02 19:19

holy shit LETSGOO OO OO O

Cloud9 champions of IEM Cologne 2023. good tournament

Should be easy W v flameZ! lets go

2023-08-02 19:22

EZ CHAMPIONSHIP

vitality are like fml

CloudWin

gg ez 4 c9

2023-08-02 19:24

GODX1LE

2023-08-02 19:25

ez for vitality obviously, this c9 is the most overrated team in the history of cs

its joever

Ez4Buster

Snatch 3.0 odds on C9 before it's too late mens

2023-08-02 19:28

bye bye vitality

2023-08-02 19:30

huge news

2023-08-02 19:32

gg bye vita

2023-08-02 19:35

Huge w

2023-08-02 19:37

MASHALLAHHHHHHH

Just about time

2023-08-02 19:39

scripted

Lessgomens Clap

Wtf he got fat

What testing burgers does to a mf

2023-08-02 19:42

So he will arrive at the airport on friday morning, and after the 2-0 EZ for Vita, he'll take back the plane to go back in the evening ! Shortest IEM event ever.

2023-08-02 19:40

POOOOOOOOG but im kinda worried, they gained experience with buster, and now its 1 man change again

i mean buster was basically bottom fragging every map and they already practiced wit ax1le, it should be fine, but their match is very hard against vitality

i get what you mean, but they practiced for like 2 months w ax1le and not at all w buster, and its a 1 for 1 swap cos buster was playing ax1les positions and ax1le is so clear of buster its hilarious buster was bottom fragging p much every map and was a big liability, ax1le will not and is not

2023-08-02 20:45

gg its over

2023-08-02 19:45

lets gooooooo

2023-08-02 19:48

oh shid:o

Nice can’t wait for this team! Still think vita will be too much, but you never know

2023-08-02 19:53

its over for everyone else

2023-08-02 19:54

C9 wins

2023-08-02 20:02

THE BOYS ARE FUCKING BACK PEOPLE, BRACE YOURSELF MOTHERFUCKERRRRR: i.imgur.com/Ip3zVFu.jpg

2023-08-02 20:03

why is baldelige in the team

2023-08-03 06:19

This will be a huge confidence boost. They are already at their best mentally (so many close series with comebacks) and now with ax1le the confidence is off the charts. Normally zywoo loves to lifegame against C9 but i doubt this time it will be enough for Vita to win only with that

2023-08-02 20:04

New Era is coming boyZZZ 😸😸😸

2023-08-02 20:11

bruh 💀💀💀

2023-08-02 21:08

HUUUUUGE NEWS

2023-08-02 20:14

so C9 might make semis instead of crashing out at quarters/rd16 now, nice. This C9 is biggest bust ever, just wait. most overhyped team of all time

all the pressure is on groove and electronic, theres literally no weak link in the team and all the roles/positions fit pretty well

2023-08-02 20:35

0 team play and 0iq calls are incoming

2023-08-03 06:17

they had such problems with old roster so its def an inmprovement

2023-08-03 07:15

are you talking about navi or cloud9? uhm... anyway...

2023-08-03 07:16

flair?

2023-08-02 20:36

Well no one was hyped for new liquid

niiiiiiiice, finally we see the true c9

2023-08-02 20:15

i wanna see them lose now

2023-08-02 20:20

c9 vitality gonna be like a grand final!

So good news

2023-08-02 20:39

He's back

2023-08-02 20:40

pog!

2023-08-02 20:42

Lesgo Seryoga😎😎😎

2023-08-02 20:43

It's joever

2023-08-02 20:51

welcome world 1 rifle img-cdn.hltv.org/gallerypicture/Zn5VaWDs..

closer is exit fragger, right?

2023-08-03 06:15

lok at the exit fragger sh1ro gets kills while climbing up the ramp youtube.com/watch?v=a0UNAikpiwo

2023-08-03 06:46

If he fails to advance… Buster will be crying …

2023-08-02 20:55

AMBATUBUSSSS AAAAAA

2023-08-02 21:00

With axile it will be 2-1 foe vitality. They are not ready to beat a team like Vitality. The pressure is on ax1le and his FIRST OFFICIAL LAN game since the break, will be against Vitality in the LANXESS. Axile for sure needs time

2023-08-02 21:03

2023-08-02 21:09

It's going to be a banger match

2023-08-02 21:59

ngl this lineup looks insane

2023-08-02 22:00

Hopefully not a bust

don't shit your pants guys, they are still probably losing to vita lul

2023-08-02 23:09

If Zywoo shits the bed again Cloud9 wins.

2023-08-02 23:31

they still got spinx, magisk and flamez. In c9 the only firepower ar ax1ile, who wasnt playing with team lately and crying sh1ro

2023-08-02 23:34

Zywoo > sh1ro Spinx < Ax1le Magisk < Hobbit FlameZ = Perfecto Apex <<<<<<< Electronic Cloud9 has much more firepower

2023-08-02 23:37

cannot wait to see russian fans crying again

2023-08-02 23:39

Zywoo > sh1ro Spinx < Ax1e Magisk > Hobbit flamez <= Perfecto apex <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Electronic

2023-08-03 00:07

you are lying sh1ro > zywoo img-cdn.hltv.org/gallerypicture/W_2CqJy0..

2023-08-03 01:07

I ARENT CLICK THAT

2023-08-03 02:27

you can't escape the truth, you know very well what's in that link

2023-08-03 04:53

AHAHHAHA

2023-08-03 06:13

magisk is definitely better than hobbit right now

2023-08-03 11:27

Depends on Shiro

2023-08-02 23:32

Clown9 or Crown9 inc

Praying for Vitality rn, oh no

2023-08-03 00:01

Pray harder, boah!

2023-08-03 00:15

CS is over, gg

2023-08-03 00:11

should be ez for sex1ile

2023-08-03 01:04

Can't wait to see twitch chat doing "buster died for this LUL", but anyway good luck for c9.

2023-08-03 02:19

I want to see cloud9 losing 16-0 just for the chat lol

2023-08-03 06:11

i like how you mad

2023-08-03 06:39

2023-08-03 06:40

Lets see... Anyway I think they gonna rekt em

2023-08-03 06:06

LETS FARKING GO

s1mple dislike that

I'm surprised they managed to qualify without him.

can't wait for C9 to take the L with him and bring buster on to the main roster to replace him LOL

2023-08-03 06:29

what

2023-08-04 13:08

If this team is even in their slightest form they can go on to win the whole tournament ngl

2023-08-03 10:16

its all over

2023-08-03 10:37

Sex1Le

2023-08-03 10:53

The amount of unchecked hype here is incredible. They have barely played a match as 5 lol. Lots of potential but kind of crazy to expect them to win the tourney. Kind of feel bad for all the excess pressure on Axile, coming in cold to a new team.

2023-08-03 11:03

who cares if they didnt play matches, they still pracced together for weeks, they still prepared for cologne

2023-08-03 11:28

Exactly and when they won't win there will be hundreds of posts -X +X and disband and shit like that. I will cheer for them but I don't expect them to beat Vitality on their first match as a full roster

2023-08-03 12:44