Cloud9 has added Hasan “BlackHeart” Hammad to its VALORANT roster after signing the Silk Road free agent on a three-year deal till 2026.
BlackHeart becomes the seventh player that the North American organization will add to its VALORANT lineup, according to eSports sources.
However, the player will not travel with the rest of the team to participate at the VCT LOCK//IN tournament, which starts on February 13, as he is registered as a substitute.
BlackHeart was a member of the Silk Road team that ended up in the top 32 of the Last Chance Qualifier of the VALORANT Challengers League open qualifiers in January, where they lost ‘i love valorant.’
Cloud9 can field up to ten players for its VALORANT roster and start five of them in matches in accordance with the 2023 VCT season rules. Cloud9 is one of the organizations in partnership with Riot Games to play in the Americas international league.
Meanwhile, 30 partnered teams all over the world will be participating in the VCT LOCK//IN, and it is the first international VALORANT event of the year. It is also going to be a newly introduced international league format.
Cloud9 must beat Paper Rex in their first game else they risk an early exit, although a victory will assure them of a match-up against the winner of BBL Esports or DRX in the next round.
Already, 16 teams, more than half of the teams participating in the VCT LOCK//IN, began their traveling to Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Monday, ahead of the start of the competition on February 13.
The teams in the competition are separated into two brackets, the Alpha bracket and the Omega brackets. Both brackets will play in a single-game elimination style until two teams remain before proceeding to the playoffs round.
Games in the Alpha bracket will be held from February 13 – 19, while games in Omega bracket will start from February 22 – 27, 2023.
Full Teams
Group Alpha
KOI (EMEA)
NRG (Americas)
DetonatioN FocusMe (Pacific)
Giants Gaming (EMEA)
Gen.G (Pacific)
LOUD (Americas)
FunPlus Phoenix (China)
Karmine Corp (EMEA)
BBL Esports (EMEA)
DRX (Pacific)
Cloud9 (Americas)
Paper Rex (Pacific)
Team Heretics (EMEA)
Evil Geniuses (Americas)
MIBR (Americas)
Talon Esports (Pacific)
Group Omega
Team Liquid (EMEA)
Team Secret (Pacific)
Natus Vincere (EMEA)
KRU Esports (Americas)
ZETA DIVISION (Pacific)
Leviatan (Americas)
Team Vitality (EMEA)
Global Esports (Pacific)
FUT Esports (EMEA)
Rex Regum Qeon (Pacific)
100 Thieves (Americas)
EDward Gaming
Sentinels (Americas)
Fnatic (EMEA)
T1 (Pacific)
FURIA (Americas)
Daniel Ademiju Idowu
