Ryu "Kaiser" Sang-hoon's struggles have been well-documented as of late. After garnering significant attention during the APEX Season 2, Kaiser's absence on the RunAway starting lineup was under intense scrutiny, especially after his impressive performances. However, he later revealed that he encountered financial burdens that made a long-term stay in Korea impossible under current conditions, as RunAway did not have the proper funding necessary.

Kaiser announced that he would join a western team, and most speculated that he would join Cloud9, especially after Selly's departure. On the latest episode of Around the Watch, which occurred live, head coach Bishop confirmed the move:

Pretty sure everyone put 1-to-1 together and figured out that you know...Kaiser will be our new 6th member, so here's the formal announcement: Kaiser will be our 6th member, our main tank for Cloud9. Hype!

The episode will likely go live on SoundCloud shortly.

With the move, GODS will move back to a flex position while performing Roadhog and DPS duties. Kaiser will likely feel comfortable in the new environment, as he will be able to confide in Cloud9's other Korean imports, Bishop and Xepher.

As of now, the Cloud9 roster is as follows:

  • Lane "Surefour" Roberts (DPS)
  • Daniel "GODS" Graesser (Flex)
  • Koo “Xepher” Jae-mo (Flex)
  • Ryu "Kaiser" Sang-hoon (Tank)
  • Randal "Roolf" Stark (Support)
  • Adam "Adam" Eckel (Support)
  • Lee “Bishop” Beoum-jun (Coach)