Zellsis and penny join Cloud9 for VCT Americas 2026

North-American squad Cloud9 has officially announced the additions of Jordan “Zellsis” Montemurro and Erik “penny” Penny to their VALORANT roster ahead of the VCT 2026 season.  This duo arrival marks a significant restructure after the organization’s third consecutive year without qualification for a VALORANT international event. The signings are seen as a statement of intent: C9 aims to restore itself to the region’s top tier. The organization also released a video with Zellsis, penny, OXY, and coach Immi talking about their plans.

Zellsis: A Veteran Return with Championship Experience

Zellsis has returned to Cloud9 after a two-plus-year tenure with Sentinels, where he acquired international experience and a VALORANT Masters title. He was a key part of the team that claimed the VCT Masters Madrid 2024 trophy and finished fourth at Champions 2024.

While Sentinels had strong domestic showings in 2025, they failed to perform internationally, with their best placement being a fifth/sixth place at Masters Toronto. The team had a poor finish at Champions and they consistently fell short of deep runs, exiting Paris in last place, a far cry from the roster’s trophy-winning gameplay at Masters Madrid in 2024. That outcome led to roster reassessments and Zellsis’ departure.

Returning to Cloud9, Zellsis is expected to bring leadership, experience under fire, and the temperament required to compete at global stages. His prior stint with C9 in 2023 gives him familiarity with the org and a ready platform to perform. Zellsis is expected to be the IGL for the new squad, a role his wealth of experience and flexible agent pool makes him suitable for.

Penny: A Talented Flex Player Seeking Comeback

Penny, a Canadian duelist main, joins Cloud9 after a short period in VCT EMEA with Apeks where the team went winless in Stage 2. Despite the setback, the signing signals Cloud9’s willingness to embrace a younger, high-upside player into their core. Having played for the likes of G2 and YFP before joining Apeks this year, Penny has a wealth of experience he’s honed across tier one and two, and along with players like OXY and v1c, brings some much-needed fresh blood into C9. While it is likely he will be switching roles to either flex or sentinel due to OXY being the team’s preliminary duelist, it remains to be seen what his agent pool will look like with C9.

Penny and Zellsis form a reunion of sorts — they were teammates at Version1 earlier in their careers, qualifying for Masters Reykjavik in 2021, adding an element of familiarity to the new C9 lineup. By adding a proven veteran and a rising young player, Cloud9 aims to balance experience with future potential.

Cloud9’s 2025 Season and Why They Needed Change

Cloud9’s recent struggles underline the urgency behind the rebuild. Over the 2025 campaign, the team failed to qualify for any international event, marking a continuous problem for the North American franchise who despite several close games this year, were unable to cross the finish line.

The newly signed players replace Mitch “Mitch” Semago and Michal “neT” Bernet after that disappointing season. While the revolving door of C9 players continues to be a meme, with players like Mitch and Vanity contributing to it alongside Zellsis, the time the latter has spent as not just a flex player but also as someone on the squad who is approachable and helps maintain composure on the server. Hopefully this stint with C9 will bring him more success after his disappointing 2025 with Sentinels.

By adding Zellsis and penny, C9 addresses two key weaknesses: leadership and flexibility. Zellsis brings tournament-winning resilience; penny brings a fresh mechanical ceiling and hopefully insight from across the pond from his time playing in VCT EMEA.

What This Means for the Roster and the Region

Cloud9’s acquisitions reshape the regional competitive narrative. With Zellsis onboard, C9 reinforces its ambition to reclaim dominance in VCT Americas. His influence should strengthen roster coordination and clutch performance under pressure. Meanwhile, penny’s signing foreshadows the organization investing in long-term upside and aggressive meta adaptability.

These moves also reflect the wider trend in VALORANT: organizations seeking both proven winners and high-potential pickups to compete internationally. Cloud9 now positions itself to challenge for global relevance once again.

Looking Ahead to VCT 2026 and the OFF// SEASON

For C9, VCT 2026 is now a season of resurgence. With their revamped roster, the expectation is not just regional qualification, but consistent strong placements internationally.

C9 will play in the upcoming Sentinels Invitational and the Red Bull Home Ground qualifiers in November. The roster also consists of Xeppa, Vic, and OXY. Zellsis and Penny will carry heavy expectations, but also an incredible opportunity, a chance to elevate Cloud9 back to the spotlight.