Cloud9 brings LCS newcomer Diplex into the starting lineup for the 2023 season

Cloud9 is banking on the youth for the upcoming 2023 season.

After losing Nicolaj "Jensen" Jensen, Cloud9 decided to raid the LFL for one of its most promising young stars, Dimitri "Diplex" Ponomarev from the LFL's Vitality.Bee. This comes after a rollercoaster season for C9, who won their fourth LCS title. However, this was overshadowed by the team's abrupt departure from the Worlds 2022 group stage.

In an announcement video posted on Twitter, C9's CEO Jack Etienne spoke about changes coming to the primary team, its Challengers squad, and its coaching staff. One that will really get C9 fans excited is the return of Alfonso “Mithy” Aguirre Rodríguez in the head coach position. This puts former head coach Maxwell "Max Waldo" Alexander Waldo in the new top lane positional coach.

Marius "Veigarv2" Aune is another coach filling a new role on the team, moving from strategic to assistant coach. C9 also brought in Marcin "Selfie" Wolski as a mid-lane positional coach, who will be working with newcomer Diplex on transitioning to the LCS style of play.

Speaking of the new midlaner for C9, Diplex has been described as a melee specialist that excels in teamfights. He is also known for his mechanical skills in the mid-lane, able to adapt to situations quickly without missing a beat. He's also been a part of the LFL weekly Dream Team on two separate occasions over the course of the season.

Vitality.Bee has been a consistent top-three team in the LFL and Diplex ensured he ended his stint with the French organisation on a high, helping the team clinch the 2022 Coupe de France. While the LCS will be a large upward step in terms of skill and talent, it will be interesting to see how C9 integrates Diplex into the squad in time for the LCS Lock-In 2023.