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The upcoming LOUD vs Cloud9 matchup at the VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 Americas KICK-OFF, taking place on January 16 at Riot Games Arena in Los Angeles, promises an exciting showdown. Both teams have demonstrated strong performances in recent events and preparations, making this clash highly anticipated by VALORANT fans. Let’s take a closer look at the current form of the teams and the forecast for this matchup.
Let's dive in.
How the bookies view it: Cloud9 favored
Cloud9 are favored to win this matchup, with bookmakers giving them a slightly stronger edge based on recent form and consistency. The odds currently stand at 1.67 for Cloud9 and 2.13 for LOUD, reflecting the expectation that Cloud9 will likely control the game, though LOUD still has a solid chance to challenge and cause an upset.
Cloud9 form. What result can be expected from Cloud9
Cloud9 is a North American VALORANT esports team representing the Cloud9 organization and regularly competing in both regional and international VALORANT tournaments across online and LAN formats. After a challenging 2025 season, in which the team failed to qualify for international events, Cloud9 entered 2026 with a refreshed roster aimed at restoring stability and competitiveness at the top North American level. The current lineup is built around Xeppaa, v1c, and OXY, with Zellsis providing IGL leadership and penny adding sentinel/flex depth. This combination of experienced players and new talent is intended to improve strategic flexibility and consistency in high-pressure matches.
- Cloud9 roster: Xeppaa, v1c, OXY, Zellsis, penny.
Throughout 2025, Cloud9 had mixed results across multiple tiers of competition. The team achieved notable victories over 100 Thieves and LEVIATÁN in VCT Americas Stage 2 but also suffered defeats to elite teams such as G2 Esports and Sentinels. At the VCT Americas Kickoff and Stage 1, Cloud9 struggled to advance past early rounds, highlighting areas for growth and the need for stronger coordination under pressure. On smaller tournaments, the team placed 7–8th at Red Bull Home Ground 2025 and 4th at SEN City Classic 2025, showing flashes of individual skill and potential but lacking consistent dominance.
The roster changes ahead of 2026 — most prominently the return of Zellsis as IGL and the addition of penny — were designed to address these weaknesses by strengthening leadership and tactical decision-making. Xeppaa and OXY provide consistent fragging power, while v1c anchors the team’s strategic control with the controller role. This synergy aims to make Cloud9 more competitive against top-tier North American teams and better prepared for international events.
While Cloud9 has historically been a strong presence in regional competitions, maintaining consistency against elite opponents has been a challenge. Matches against Sentinels, G2, and other top teams exposed moments of instability and strategic gaps, but the roster restructuring gives the organization a renewed chance to solidify its position among North America’s best.
Overall, the 2025 season reflected a period of rebuilding and recalibration for Cloud9 in VALORANT. With the revamped lineup, the team’s main objective for 2026 is to regain a consistent presence in international tournaments while converting regional competitiveness into deeper runs at Masters and Champions events.
Сloud9 Map Pool
Cloud9 shows mixed results across maps in recent matches. The team performs confidently on Sunset, winning 100% of their three games and maintaining a high round win rate on both attack (71%) and defense (53%). Bind also remains one of their stronger maps, with a 75% win rate (3 wins out of 4) and solid performance on both sides. On Icebox, Cloud9 has a positive record, winning 67% of matches (2 out of 3) with round win rates of 54% on attack and 49% on defense. Lotus is more balanced, with a 56% win rate (5 wins out of 9), showing moderate consistency. At the same time, Cloud9 struggles on Split (29%, 2–5) and Pearl (0%, 0–2), particularly on attack rounds. Haven is unpredictable, with a 50% win rate (5–5), while Ascent (0%, 0–1), Abyss (0%, 0–1), and Corrode (33%, 1–2) show weak results. The team has not played Breeze or Fracture recently, making these maps relatively unknown. Overall, Cloud9’s map pool combines maps where they are strong, like Sunset and Bind, with more risky maps where they may struggle, which is important to consider when preparing for matches against top opponents.
LOUD form. What result can be expected from LOUD
LOUD is a Brazilian VALORANT esports team representing the LOUD organization and regularly competing in both regional and international VALORANT tournaments across online and LAN formats. After a challenging 2025 season, in which the team struggled to achieve consistent results, LOUD entered 2026 with plans to rebuild and stabilize performance. The current lineup is built around pANcada, Virtyy, and cauanzin, with lukxo providing flexible support and the team evaluating leadership options after parting ways with IGL RobbieBk. This combination of experienced Brazilian players and strategic restructuring aims to improve coordination and consistency in high-pressure matches.
- LOUD roster: pANcada, Virtyy, cauanzin, lukxo, Darker.
Throughout 2025, LOUD experienced mixed results across multiple tiers of competition. The team achieved occasional strong performances but struggled in key events, finishing 11th–12th in both VCT Americas Stage 1 and Stage 2, and 5th–6th at VCT Americas Kickoff. They lost matches against strong opponents including 100 Thieves, NRG, and KRÜ Esports, highlighting issues with consistency and coordination under pressure. Historically, LOUD has shown high-level potential, including 3rd place at VALORANT Champions 2023 and 4th at VCT 2024 Masters Madrid, but recent seasons have exposed the need for a more stable roster and strategic leadership.
The roster changes ahead of 2026 — particularly the departure of RobbieBk and coach Leader — were made to address these weaknesses and provide the team with a fresh approach. pANcada, Virtyy, and cauanzin form a solid core, while lukxo offers flexibility in role assignments. The organization is aiming to restore LOUD’s presence at the top of the Americas scene and prepare for stronger performances in international events.
While LOUD has historically been a top Brazilian and Latin American team, maintaining consistency against elite North American and regional opponents has been challenging. Matches against top-tier teams revealed moments of instability and tactical gaps, but the current restructuring gives the team a chance to stabilize and regain competitiveness.
Overall, the 2025 season reflected a period of rebuilding and adjustment for LOUD in VALORANT. With the refreshed core, the team’s main objective for 2026 is to return to consistent high-level performances, translate regional competitiveness into deeper runs in Masters and Champions events, and reclaim its status as a leading team in the Americas.
LOUD Map Pool
LOUD shows mixed results across maps in recent matches. The team has a moderate performance on Ascent and Icebox, winning 50% of matches on each (1–1 in both cases), with round win rates ranging from 29–67%, showing some strengths but also inconsistencies. On Sunset, LOUD has a 50% win rate (1–1), performing well on attack (67%) but more average on defense (50%). Bind appears to be a weaker map for the team, with only a 33% win rate (1–2) and low round win percentages on both sides. Haven is particularly challenging, with a 0% win rate (0–2) and poor performance in both attacks and defenses. Lotus and Corrode have also proven difficult, with win rates of 0% on each map, while Split, Breeze, Fracture, Pearl, and Abyss were not played recently, leaving them as largely untested or unknown maps for the team. Overall, LOUD’s map pool shows some strengths on Ascent, Icebox, and Sunset, but several maps remain inconsistent or problematic, which may influence their strategic choices and bans in upcoming matches.
Cloud9 vs LOUD: Head‑to‑Head
Cloud9 and LOUD have played each other twice in official VALORANT matches before the 2026 VCT Americas Kickoff. The record is even, 1–1. In their most recent meeting on April 20, 2024, Cloud9 won 2–1, dropping the first map but coming back to take Icebox and Lotus. Their earlier clash on April 8, 2023 saw LOUD win 2–1, after losing the first map but winning the next two. Overall, the two BO3s are tied 3–3 in maps, showing that both teams can beat each other and making their next match unpredictable.
Predicted result of the match between Cloud9 vs LOUD at VCT 2026: Americas Kickoff
Looking at the upcoming match between LOUD and Cloud9 at the VCT 2026 Americas Kickoff, Cloud9 enters as the favorite due to their stronger recent form, more consistent map pool, and overall stability in high-pressure situations. While LOUD has historically been one of the top Brazilian teams and has shown flashes of brilliance on maps like Ascent and Icebox, their results in 2025 were inconsistent, and they have struggled against elite North American opponents. Cloud9, on the other hand, has rebuilt its roster with experienced players like Xeppaa, OXY, and Zellsis providing leadership and tactical depth, and the team performs strongly on key maps such as Bind. The head-to-head record between the teams is balanced at 1–1, but Cloud9’s stronger map statistics, more reliable coordination, and recent improvements suggest they are more likely to control the pace of the game and secure the series. While LOUD can potentially challenge on select maps and create surprises, Cloud9’s combination of strategic flexibility, individual firepower, and map pool advantages makes them the team most expected to win this matchup.
Betting prediction: Cloud9 wins.
