Demon1 returns to the VCT for Cloud9

Max "Demon1" Mazanov is set to make his return to the stage as a substitute for Cloud9 in week 2 of VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Americas Kickoff.

After it was revealed that Cloud9 would be without their star duelist, Francis "OXY" Hoang, in week two of the VCT Americas Kickoff due to a family emergency, fans began to speculate on who his replacement could be for their upcoming series against Leviatán in the Middle Bracket. Now, it has been revealed that C9 has called upon a former World Champion, as Demon1 is set to make his return to the VCT stage for their upcoming match.

For those new to the scene, Demon1 made his VALORANT debut in 2023, where he quickly became a superstar for Evil Geniuses, leading the team to the trophy at VCT 2023 - Champions. However, since his legendary rookie season, Demon1 has struggled to rekindle that same magic on the VCT Americas stage.

Demon1 returns to the VCT Americas Stage

It has been quite some time since Demon1 has been a starter at the Tier 1 level ever since his departure from Leviatán after VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Americas Stage 1. Since then, he has defaulted to being a substitute for teams in need of an extra player, as demonstrated by his time at VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Valorant Champions with Dragon Ranger Gaming.

Now, he will be returning to the VCT Americas stage with Cloud9, where he will slot in for OXY as the team's duelist. It will be interesting to see how well Cloud9 is able to perform with Demon1 subbing in for OXY during their match against Leviatán on January 24, 2026. For now, Demon1 will aim to perform his best on the VCT Americas stage, given the limited practice he has before his VCT 2026 debut.

For now, be sure to follow THESPIKE.GG for more VALORANT content like this as we keep up with the start of the VCT 2026 season.