The Offseason Begins with Cloud9 and Superstar Duelist leaf
The offseason between the 2023 and 2024 VCT seasons has officially started with transfer windows opening across all the major VALORANT regions. As we head into the 2024 season, it seems that Cloud9 will not be keeping Nathan “leaf” Orf on their roster.
Many fans use the Global Contract Database to track offseason changes. The latest version of the GCD does not list leaf and Jordan “Zellsis” Montemurro. While Zellsis has made a public statement about becoming an unrestricted free agent, leaf has remained silent.
Being removed from the GCD simply means that a contract has expired, and a player may still re-sign with their organization. We saw this with Tyson “TenZ” Ngo and Sentinels. However, there are reports suggesting a new direction for C9. It is said that former IGL Anthony “vanity” Malaspina is returning, and C9 has signed former G2 duelist Francis “OXY” Hoang.
Both OXY and leaf are duelist players. However, while OXY has exclusively played Jett and Raze during his time with G2, leaf also incorporates Neon into his agent pool and has occasionally played Skye and Killjoy. If the reports of OXY joining C9 are true, it likely indicates that leaf will be leaving the team unless C9 has plans for a major role change for one of their top duelists.
There have been rumors about leaf potentially joining forces with the former members of The Guard, who are in need of a primary duelist after parting ways with Ian “tex” Botsch. Interestingly, the organization that previously employed OXY in G2 is reportedly in strong contention to acquire The Guard’s former players and secure a two-year spot in VCT Americas.
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