Cloud9 New York

Origins and Early Struggles as the New York Subliners

The New York Subliners were announced as one of the first five city-based franchises in the Call of Duty League. The team entered the league for the 2020 Modern Warfare season with a lineup filled with veteran players led by ZooMaa. High expectations were placed on the team from the beginning.

These expectations were quickly halted as the Subliners suffered frequent losses at the league's Launch Weekend event. The underperformance continued into the following weeks, leading to the team's first roster change with the acquisition of player Mack. This new addition brought a different energy to the team. Their efforts culminated in a notable victory during week six, where they defeated the popular Chicago Huntsmen in a unanimous 3–0 match. The Subliners finished their debut season in fifth place in the overall league standings.

Roster Instability and the Arrival of KiSMET

Team composition presented ongoing obstacles for the Subliners. In January 2021, veteran Call of Duty professional and league starter Tommy 'ZooMaa' Paparatto announced his retirement. The team responded by adding amateur player Conor 'Diamondcon' Johst to fill the open position.

The Call of Duty team continued to struggle until they picked up a player named KiSMET. He had been gaining attention in the competitive scene for his skill. KiSMET's addition to the team had a significant impact, and he immediately demonstrated his value in the Respawn game mode. With KiSMET, the Subliners made a strong comeback at the 2022 Vanguard Pro Am Classic. This event was KiSMET's first back in the CDL since the Modern Warfare season. His contributions were crucial, and NYSL emerged as the champions of that tournament.

Internal Shifts and a Path to Championships

On March 20, 2022, player Clayster announced he was benched from the Subliners in favor of PaulEhx. Later that season, from July 14 to July 17, 2022, the team's parent organization NYXL hosted the Call of Duty League Major IV at the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn. After this major, the Subliners had secured a spot at the Call of Duty Champs 2022, where they ultimately tied for fifth and sixth place against Toronto Ultra.

The 2022 season concluded with more internal discussion. After the championships, Subliners players Crimsix, PaulEhx, HyDra, and coach Dreal participated in a podcast called 'The Flank'. On it, players discussed topics including racism between players, knowledge of internal plans for their replacement that existed before Major 4, and favoritism from coaches and management. Crimsix, the professional player with the most wins in Call of Duty history, retired after the 2022 season with NYSL.

Building a Championship Roster in Modern Warfare 2

Following the departure of Crimsix, the New York Subliners constructed their roster for the 2023 Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 season around player Hydra. They made two significant additions, bringing in players Priestahh and Skyz. This new combination found immediate success at the first tournament of the season, Major 1, hosted by the league in Raleigh, North Carolina, where NYSL won the top seat.

On December 19, 2022, NYXL announced they would no longer be hosting Major IV for the 2023 season. The team's performance peaked at the 2023 Call of Duty League Championships, where the New York Subliners won the world title. KiSMET was awarded the MVP of the entire championship event for his performance, recognizing his central role in their victory.

A Title Defense and Franchise Sale

After winning the Modern Warfare 2 championship, the New York Subliners entered the Modern Warfare 3 season with another roster change. They dropped player Priestahh and added Sib to their professional lineup. During the fourth tournament of the season, Major 4 hosted by the league in Burbank, California, NYSL again won the top seat.

However, the Subliners lost the 2024 Call of Duty League Championship, falling to OpTic Texas in the Grand Final. A much larger change occurred during the middle of that season when the franchise spot was sold to the esports organization Cloud9. The team was later rebranded as Cloud9 New York.

The Cloud9 New York Rebuild

Cloud9 New York began its offseason by parting ways with its entire roster and coaching staff, with the sole exception of player Sib. This signaled a full rebuild for the new organization. In October 2024, Cloud9 New York constructed its roster around Sib with the additions of players Attach, Kremp, and Mack. Accuracy was appointed as the new head coach.

This move marked Cloud9's re-entry into top-level Call of Duty, as the organization has a history in competitive titles like Black Ops 3 and Infinite Warfare. Cloud9 is one of North America's most successful esports organizations and currently operates other franchised teams, including in the Rainbow Six Siege league.

Academy Team and Organizational History

Under its previous ownership as the New York Subliners, the organization briefly operated a semi-professional academy team. On January 25, 2024, NYSL announced the creation of this Tier 2 team for the Call of Duty Challengers Cup. The academy roster featured players Gunless, Classic, PaulEhx, and Decemate.

This project was short-lived. Four months later, on May 7, 2024, the entire academy team was let go. This release came only ten days before the team was set to appear at the Call of Duty Major 3 hosted by Toronto Ultra, ending the organization's direct involvement in the Challengers scene.