Cloud9 confirm yay is leaving Valorant team

❘ Updated: 2023-03-01T20:05:35

Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games

Cloud9 have released an update on its Valorant team confirming multiple reports that Jaccob ‘yay’ Whiteaker is leaving the squad.

After Cloud9 was chosen as a partner for the VCT Americas international league by Riot Games in 2022, the organization signed yay along with former Version1 player Jordan ‘Zellsis’ Montemurro and The Guard head coach Matthew ‘mCe’ Elmore in October.

However, it does not appear the partnership was a happy one. Recently, multiple reports were released in the wake of Cloud9’s elimination from VCT LOCK//IN that yay, and potentially other team members, could be let go or moved to the bench.

Now, Cloud9 has officially confirmed the rumors and given its perspective on what direction the organization will take next.

yay leaves Cloud9 after less than six months

Cloud9 have announced that yay is leaving its Valorant squad after spending just five months with the organization.

An update on the Cloud9 VALORANT roster pic.twitter.com/DFVmZm3Cav
— Cloud9 VALORANT (@C9VAL) March 1, 2023

Cloud9’s CEO and coach said in the statement that the release of yay had more to do with role issues within the team and that those would be addressed moving forward. The head coach also admitted that the move probably will not make the team better in the short term and that the squad is actively looking for a replacement for yay.

Dot Esports reported that the release of the players was amicable from both sides and was not due to performance reasons. yay will hit the open market for Valorant squads just in time for the mid-season transfer window which begins on March 6 and continues until right before the VCT international leagues start on March 25.

Cloud9 will start VCT competition without yay as the league begins on March 26. There has been no word on where yay will go, but there could be a few suitors for his services as the sniper is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world.

mCe also said in the statement that more roster moves could be on the way in the future.

After the initial announcement, yay tweeted that he would address the move in a video or stream in the future and said “role issues were definitely the reason for me departing and the team/coach definitely agreed with me being removed.”