Cloud9 Blue Dominates VALORANT Champions Tour NA Stage Two Challengers Final
Cloud9 Blue showed their strength in the VALORANT Champions Tour NA Stage Two Challengers Final with a decisive victory over Envy. Despite some considering them underdogs, Cloud9 proved their dominance in this latest iteration of the team.
Meet Ricky “Floppy” Kemer, Cloud9 Blue’s Newest Addition
Ricky “Floppy” Kemer joined Cloud9 Blue earlier this month, transitioning from the C9 CS:GO project known as the “Colossus” to VALORANT.
Floppy’s Adaptation to Cloud9 Blue and VALORANT
Floppy spoke with after Cloud9 Blue’s victory over Envy and discussed how he has adapted to a new team and game. He also shared why he chose one of the most challenging Agents to master.
Floppy utilized Astra, the newest controller in VALORANT, against Envy. This surprised some fans as he had recently been using Omen, which is a more accessible controller for CS:GO players transitioning to VALORANT. However, Floppy’s exclusive use of Astra was a strategic choice that showcased his talent.
“Astra right now is just super OP. Her entire skillset is just crazy to me. You’re practically playing Starcraft the whole time,” Floppy told . “you’re literally just running around the map putting stuff here and there just helping your entire team on both halves. There is no reason not to really play Astra right now. She’s too OP, in my opinion.”
Astra has sparked debate among professional players, with some believing that the Agent is detrimental to VALORANT. While Astra’s abilities give her significant control over the flow of a match, her kit is challenging to master. One major concern is Astra’s Astral Form, which deviates from traditional FPS gameplay and disrupts the tactical nature of VALORANT.
“It doesn’t really feel like a tac FPS when you’re not even running around with your gun out. You are in the sky just placing stars everywhere,” Floppy said. “So I think in that aspect, I don’t think Astra is really good in that aspect for a tactical FPS. It just doesn’t really make sense.”
Floppy suggested a couple of changes to improve Astra’s gameplay. He proposed making Astra’s stars invisible but destructible to allow players to counter them. He also suggested making the stars unusable for the first five seconds after the barrier falls to prevent teams from gaining instant map control.
Despite the criticisms surrounding Astra, teams will need to adapt and learn how to counter the Agent in the meantime.
Cloud9’s next match is against NRG Esports, but Floppy isn’t concerned about any specific opponent.
“It doesn’t really matter who we play as long as we prepare for it and do our best to get that one percent edge. We can do it. It shouldn’t matter what team we play against.”
Floppy also mentioned that facing Sentinels and TenZ again would be “kind of funny” and an opportunity for revenge after losing in Challengers Two. He acknowledged that European and Brazilian teams would pose tough competition at Masters Two but emphasized the importance of securing a spot in the finals first before worrying about the international stage.
Cloud9 Blue will face NRG Esports in the VCT NA Stage Two Challengers Finals tomorrow at 3pm CT.
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