Storm Heroes: Cloud9 Maelstrom Rises in North America

After becoming champions in the Heroes of the Storm Invitational Tournament at BlizzCon 2014, Cloud9, one of the most renowned organizations in professional eSports, announced the creation of two new Heroes teams. Built from BlizzCon Champions, Cloud9 Maelstrom and Cloud9 Vortex were born.

Since the team's inception, one word has defined Cloud9 Maelstrom: consistency.

Cloud9 Maelstrom have placed in the top two in 22 of the 27 tournaments they have entered since the beginning of their career as a team. C9M’s recent results have been even more impressive, getting to the finals of every single event that has seen them since early March.

With the recent addition of Fan ‘Fan’ Yang, a winner at Heroes of the Dorm in April, they have appeared stronger than ever. Maelstrom is well-known for their aggressive style and bold decision making. That’s a playstyle in stark contrast to their top rivals, Tempo Storm.

The rivalry between Cloud9 Maelstrom and Tempo Storm, which has come to define the North American scene in these early days of Heroes of the Storm, can be traced back to the Heroes Technical Alpha. A newly formed Cloud9 Maelstrom faced Tempo Storm, at the time known as Symbiote Gaming, in the finals of the Kings of the Storm Weekly Cup #5 and achieved their first tournament win. Little did they know at the time they would clash at the finals in more than 80% of the tournaments in which both teams were featured.

“I think our team’s strength comes simply from the fact that we are the most well-rounded team.” captain Derek ‘DunkTrain’ Arabian stated. “We also have a lot of prior MOBA experience individually, which allows us to have a head start on mechanics, and a good understanding of team fighting.”

Looking at their roster, it’s clear why Maelstrom is such a strong team.

DunkTrain (Captain)

Derek ‘DunkTrain’ Arabian is the captain of Cloud9 Maelstrom. With more than 10 years of experience in the genre, he is one of the most knowledgeable players in the scene. Usually playing the support role, DunkTrain makes sure his teammates can play to their full potential knowing that whatever happens, he will be there to help them in dire situations. His most-played Heroes in tournament appearances are Uther and Malfurion.

k1pro

Keiwan ‘k1pro’ Itakura is an American player from California. While ranged Assassins are his favorite role to play, he is their most flexible player. In the North America July Open alone he played a number of games on support hybrids Tyrande and Tassadar in addition to showcasing skills on Falstad and Jaina. One of the things to check for when watching k1pro is his Tyrande play. His excellent map awareness often enables him to hit long range Sentinel shots with surgical precision.

KingCaffeine

John Paul Lopez, better known as KingCaffeine, is the main Warrior of Cloud9 Maelstrom and is perhaps the best among his contemporaries. At the age of 27, he is one of the most senior pro-gamers in the scene, but rather than seeing this as a weakness, he argues his age has strengthened him as a strategic player. Based on his results, there is no doubt KingCaffeine is one of the best players in the game. Up-and-coming Warrior players should look up to him as his peeling and body blocking are truly a pleasure to watch. He can frequently be seen using heroes like Tyrael, Muradin, and Johanna.

IDream

Kun ‘IDream’ Fang is the last remaining member of the Cloud9 team that won the invitational tournament at BlizzCon still on Maelstrom. His experience speaks for itself. IDream started his competitive team game path ten years ago and has not stopped playing since. Alongside k1pro, he is one of the most versatile players on the team. In recent times his most-played heroes are Zagara and Kael’thas, showcasing both quick thinking and strong individual play dominating lanes and controlling the flow of teamfights.

Fan

Fan ‘Fan’ Yang is the most recent addition to the team’s roster. He is one of the most skilled players on the professional level and a genuine Hero of the Dorm. Fan competed for UC Berkeley in Heroes of the Dorm this past April on ESPN2, where he and his teammates won cash toward their college tuition. After being transferred from sister team Cloud9 Vortex to Maelstrom, Fan has quickly become the main shotcaller for his new team. While known for his play with Melee Assassins like Illidan and Zeratul, his great mechanical skill allows him to play a wide variety of heroes like Sylvanas and Muradin. He can also be seen on Malfurion when Maelstrom likes to run their unique triple-support strategy on Sky Temple, lining up with a Tassadar and Uther.

In words of the team captain, DunkTrain, the inclusion of Fan in the roster has helped them overcome their previous shortcomings: “I think the thing that Fan brings to the team right now is a different mindset. [...]Fan has been working on improving rotations and mercenary timings in addition to communication, which will help us withstand more meta changes in the long term.”

Cloud9 Maelstrom participated in the North America June Open where they faced their rival Tempo Storm in the finals. They fell just a little short of securing their place in the Americas Championship, after losing 1-2, but they wouldn’t surrender. They signed up for the July NA Open Qualifiers where they easily cruised through to the Round of 8. There, Cloud9 Maelstrom went against COGnitive, 2ARC, and Complexity Gaming, some of the strongest teams in the region. Still, all of them were defeated in a convincing fashion and Maelstrom failed to lose a game through the semifinals.

After yet another astounding performance at the North America July Open, Cloud9 Maelstrom met Tempo Storm once again in the finals of this event, securing a spot in the Americas Championship on the way. At the Americas Championship, they will face the top teams from North America, Latin America, Australia/New Zealand, and Southeast Asia for a chance to win one of the two spots at the Heroes of the Storm World Championship at BlizzCon 2015. Even though they are undoubtedly one of the strongest teams from the North American region and fan favorites to make it to BlizzCon, the team is not taking anything for granted.

“The most important thing right now is to focus on winning the American Championship,” Cloud9 Maelstrom team captain Derek Arabian says. “BlizzCon is the end game, but it’s important to focus on the immediate goal that will get us there”.

Make no mistake, while the team is focusing on the short term, there is a burning desire to make it to BlizzCon. For the three Cloud9 Maelstrom members who played at BlizzCon 2014, playing  on that stage again—with $200,000 going to the winners this time–is the ultimate goal.

When talking about his experience at BlizzCon, DunkTrain says “The most important thing I learned from playing at BlizzCon 2014 is that playing in front of a crowd makes everything worth it. All the practice, the emotional turmoil of defeats, the stress of competing, and giving up weeknights and weekends without end. It’s all worth it to get up on that stage, and the desire to get back there and win is what drives me. The experience of that event really helps to give iDream, Caffeine and I perspective. We know what we’re doing this for.”

As one of the powerhouses of their region, Cloud9 Maelstrom is surely a force to be reckoned with, but their road to BlizzCon won’t be easy. With strong teams like COGnitive and Tempo Storm already qualified for the Americas Championship, two spots still to be decided by the August North American Open, and three more teams from the regional championships of Latin America, Australia/New Zealand, and Southeast Asia, the competition is fiercer than ever.

Still, DunkTrain, k1pro, iDream, Fan, and KingCaffeine have proven time and time again that they have the skill and determination to become world champions—the storm only empowers the Maelstrom.

If you enjoyed learning about Cloud9 Maelstrom in this article, be sure to check out Team Liquid’s spotlight on COGnitive Gaming, who also advanced from the July North America Open.