Cloud9 has officially entered the Deadlock esports scene by signing Melee Creeps, one of North America's longest-running and most successful teams. The organization confirmed the signing on November 9, 2026, through its dedicated Deadlock account on X.
Cloud9 is widely known for its history in Counter-Strike, Dota 2, and League of Legends. Its arrival in Deadlock comes while Valve's game is still in development and the competitive scene is largely driven by independent tournament organizers.
Cloud9 Deadlock roster: all six players
Cloud9 signed the existing Melee Creeps lineup without making changes to the six-player roster:
- LOMEIN
- AVG
- League
- Zeno
- Saiah
- JonJon
Former Melee Creeps player POSHYPOP will continue as coach. Yodi and Megs will stay on as team managers.
Who are Melee Creeps?
Melee Creeps formed in November 2024 with AVG, Braeden, CoolCheese, Opp, Bam1, and Saiah. The roster changed repeatedly over the following months, but Saiah remained with the team and helped rebuild it through several different lineups.
One of the team's biggest early achievements was winning the Trolli Open Night Shift Finals, the first $10,000 Deadlock tournament. Melee Creeps defeated Sneaky Golem 2–0 in the final.
An 18-tournament winning streak
After replacing LordNM with eidorian, Melee Creeps went on to win 18 consecutive Deadlock Night Shift tournaments, from DLNS #12 through DLNS #29. Floormen finally ended the streak at DLNS #30. According to Deadfrag, it was the longest winning streak in the tournament series at the time of its report.
The team later struggled with inconsistent results and further roster changes. Eventually, only Saiah and JonJon remained. A new lineup took shape when LOMEIN, AVG, League, and Zeno, previously of Poppers Pupils, joined them.
That six-player lineup is now representing Cloud9. Across its history, Melee Creeps has earned more than $50,000 in tournament prize money, according to Deadfrag.
Cloud9 contract details
According to an exclusive report by Deadfrag, the players joined Cloud9 on one-year salaried contracts. The organization has not publicly disclosed the salary amounts or other financial terms.
Cloud9 reportedly first approached Melee Creeps around March 2026 to discuss a possible partnership called “MLC x Cloud9.” That proposal focused on sponsorship rather than a full roster signing, with particular interest in player and streamer eidorian. The team declined the offer at the time.
Several months later, Cloud9 returned to the Deadlock scene with a full-team signing.
Why did Cloud9 enter Deadlock before its full release?
Deadlock is still in development, and Valve has not publicly announced a major official LAN circuit for the game. That makes the investment an early move for a major esports organization.
There are clear potential benefits, however. Cloud9 has acquired an established North American contender rather than building a roster from scratch. Several of its players also have growing streaming audiences. Deadfrag reported peak concurrent viewership above 2,000 for LOMEIN, above 600 for AVG, and roughly 100–900 for Saiah, depending on the stream.
Those audiences could help the organization build a presence in Deadlock beyond competitive results alone.
What happened with Virtus.pro in Deadlock?
Cloud9 is not the first major esports organization to invest in the game. Virtus.pro signed the European team Buff Enjoyers in February 2025 and left Deadlock in August 2025. The squad earned around $31,700 in prize money during its time under the organization.
The decision illustrated the uncertainty facing professional teams while Deadlock's competitive ecosystem remains in development.
What Cloud9's signing means for Deadlock esports
For the former Melee Creeps players, the deal provides professional support while allowing them to keep their established lineup. For Cloud9, it creates an early foothold in a competitive scene that may grow as Deadlock develops.
Whether more major organizations follow will depend in part on Valve's plans for the game and its esports future. For now, Cloud9 has secured a proven North American roster with a long history of tournament success.
Sources: Cloud9 Deadlock and Deadfrag.
