Cloud9 have removed Tyson “TenZ” Ngo from their active CS:GO lineup, the organization announced on Sunday. TenZ first joined the roster in July as part of the organization’s overhaul of the Counter-Strike division. Former Lazarus rifler Yassine “Subroza” Taoufik has joined the team on a trial basis, and will compete with the squad during ECS Season 8 and the upcoming BLAST Pro Series Copenhagen.
Cloud9 announced the roster update in a video, where Counter-Strike coach James “JamezIRL” Macaulay cites differences between players as a motivation for TenZ’s benching. “There’s a clash in desired playstyle among him and the rest of the team,” the coach states. 18-year-old Tyson “TenZ” Ngo joined Cloud9 in July, immediately aiding in their semi-final finish at BLAST Pro Series Los Angeles. JamezIRL addresses their Los Angeles performance in the announcement video, stating that it may have “skyrocketed expectations.” The roster has found minimal success since, achieving only a 3-4th place finish at the Arctic Invitational. They were later relegated from ESL Pro League Season 10 after suffering losses to Complexity, eUnited, and Evil Geniuses. They have not yet managed to qualify for the ECS Season 8 Finals, making semi-final finishes in weeks one and two before taking a grand final loss to Evil Geniuses in week three.
Taking TenZ's place is 22-year-old Yassine “Subroza” Taoufik, who has been active in the professional CS:GO scene since 2015. He first made a name for himself under the Counter Logic Gaming banner in 2016, staying with the organization until he stepped down in February of 2017. The Canadian rifler bounced around various lineups before finally settling with Ghost Gaming in February of 2018. After nearly a year with the squad, Subroza was removed from Ghost in January of this year. He later joined Lazarus, though the organization decided to disband their male CS:GO division after just a few months.
Prior to signing with Cloud9, Subroza played under the Swole Patrol name before leaving the team earlier this month. He has joined Cloud9 for a trial period, with his performances at ECS Season 8 and BLAST Pro Series Copenhagen deciding whether or not he will receive a full contract.
Cloud9’s next appearance will come at ECS Season 8 week four, which is slated to begin on October 21st. Subroza’s debut match will see the North American squad take on Brazilian side INTZ. Cloud9 CS:GO’s next LAN showing will come at BLAST Pro Series Copenhagen on November 1st.