“NA is obviously much stronger than EMEA, in every way” – C9 penny on meta, moving back to VCT Americas, and more

Hotspawn spoke with Cloud9’s Erik “penny” Penny following C9’s loss to G2 in the middle bracket of VCT Americas Kickoff. After the series concluded, penny opened up about the match, agent flexibility, regional differences, team chemistry, and navigating pressure with one of North America’s largest fanbases.

Hotspawn: Penny, first of all, I wanted to ask you:

How are you doing today?

Penny: “I’m good. I mean, obviously it could be better, but yeah, fair enough.”

Hotspawn: From the first map in particular, you guys had such a big lead at the beginning.

What was so difficult about G2’s attacking side?

Penny: “I don’t know. It’s just kind of a gimmicky comp and something we’re not used to playing, so we had to constantly adapt on the fly. And even though I think we were in good spots to win almost every round, it just didn’t go our way. So yeah, it’s not a great feeling, but it is what it is.”

Are you not entertained?! @G2VALORANT takes the series 2-0! #VCTAmericas pic.twitter.com/dspxkw2Tnp

— VALORANT Esports NA (@valesportsna) February 2, 2026

Hotspawn: Talking about comps in particular, I also noticed that you’ve added Waylay to your arsenal. You play many agents, and I think you’re probably one of the players with the most flexible agent pools in America.

So how do you adapt to playing so many different agents?”

Penny: “I think at this point it’s just confidence in myself because I also have a lot of experience. So it’s kind of easy, by watching my teammates play and watching other people play, whenever I play a new agent, I take what other people do and put my own twist on it. That’s kind of what I go for.

“Obviously duelists are very natural for me, but I’ve also been finding a lot of comfort playing other stuff, like Viper, Veto, and some other things too — but I can’t say that yet.”

Hotspawn: Talking about Waylay, I’ve noticed a lot more teams are leaning toward her alongside Yoru this year.

What makes her so strong in the current meta?

Penny: “The whole kit is very strong. If you go one-for-one with every ability that duelists have, I think Waylay is by far the most broken. Obviously the biggest things are the ult and the Saturate — they’re just very strong, and the fact that you can always come back as well.

“People are doing that thing where they combo the dash and the Saturate and get out. There’s no counterplay. If Waylay dashes on you and slows you, you just have to hope someone is next to you or you’re not close enough to die. When something has no counterplay, it’s kind of hard not to play it.”

Hotspawn: “You also mentioned Veto earlier. You’re one of the few teams picking him up.

What’s the value of Veto compared to something like a traditional Cypher?

Penny: “It’s just the Interceptor. It’s very strong if it’s used properly. It’s not always a strong character, but if you play it against the right comp, where they have util, the Interceptor can provide a lot of value on both sides.

“And obviously the ult is a big reason it’s played because it’s only seven orbs. You get it up quite often, and it’s very strong. If you’re on defense and you have Interceptor on one side and Veto on the other, it’s very hard for them to hit a site.”

Hotspawn: How has it been reuniting with Immi this year after so long?

Penny: “I think it’s kind of like all the people I’m here with now: we played together once, drifted apart, and now we’re all coming back together as better versions of ourselves. People have solved their problems or gotten better at certain things, and now we’re coming together in our primes.

“Our goal is to win everything we can. It hasn’t been the slowest start, but it comes down to experience and togetherness. G2 wins the crucial rounds, and that’s what puts them over the edge.”

Hotspawn: How does an average day look for you guys in terms of practice and bonding?

Penny: “For me, I wake up, go for a run, then practice starts pretty early because we’re on LA time. We practice until anywhere from 5 to 27:30. After that, everyone does their own thing. OXY and I go to the gym every night together. Other people have girlfriends or go home. In terms of bonding, we mostly bond during practice, but we do go out for dinner together when we can.”

Hotspawn: What’s your favorite dinner spot?

Penny: “Anything in Koreatown. We really enjoy Korean food.”

Hotspawn: You’ve played in multiple regions.

What’s the biggest difference between NA and EMEA?

Penny: “In terms of playstyle, NA is obviously much stronger, like in every way. The strength of players is much higher. I think the read on the meta that North American and Pacific have is a lot better than Europe.

“And in terms of differences between living there and here, I think the biggest thing is the culture. Because, for example, the teams I was on, every person is from a different country, and Europe is so big, so it’s scattered and there’s a million different cultures. So the way you interact with people on your teams, in the org, and even like locals is a lot different.

“You could say something and they might take offence to it, even though it doesn’t mean that, or they could say something and it means something totally different. So you have to get used to that”

Hotspawn: How has it been dealing with the pressure and support that comes with playing for Cloud9?

Penny: “As much as there is positivity, there’s also a lot of negativity. Every player gets hate. You just have to appreciate the love and deal with the hate. That’s part of being an esports athlete.”

Hotspawn: Anything you want to say to the fans?

Penny: “I appreciate all the fans who have my back, because I do see that. It’s nice to feel like I’m back home and feel the love.”