Maxim "Sensei Mori" Tomilov Special slang and terms based on various situations have always been an integral part of the gaming community. Some might recall the wild cry "Leeroy Jenkins!" and feel a wave of nostalgia, while others might relate more to Keanu Reeves' appearance at the E3 2019 presentation with his famous phrase "Wake up, Samurai." Memes quickly gain popularity; however, the origin and meaning of some, like the phrase "C9," remain a mystery to many players. In this article, we will explain in detail where this enigmatic expression came from and what it signifies.
How Did the Term C9 Originate?
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Despite appearing in various session shooters, especially in Overwatch 2, its origins trace back to the first part, specifically in 2017. During one of the tournaments (Apex Season 2), two teams competed: Cloud9 and Afreeca Freecs Blue. The former was significantly stronger and confidently dominated, but at a certain point, all the players seemed to lose their composure and started "chasing kills." In other words, they forgot the objective of the Lijiang Tower map—holding the point for a specified time.
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Commentators and spectators were shocked, as was AF Blue, who won in a rather unusual manner. What was even more surprising was that Cloud9 repeated this mistake twice on the subsequent maps! This legendary situation was aptly named "C9," an abbreviation of the team's name, and it can still be seen during live streams of streamers or professional matches.
What Does C9 Mean in Overwatch?
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Essentially, when such a message appears in the chat, it means that one of the teams has made a basic mistake in their strategy. The phrase "C9" refers back to the events of the 2017 tournament. Typically, this happens when players get too caught up in fighting the opponents and completely forget the objectives that need to be completed on the map. By the time they remember, it's too late, and this behavior becomes a reason to spam "C9" in the chat.
Disagreements on the Definition of C9
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There are still heated debates within the game community about what qualifies as a true C9. Some believe that it refers to any abandonment of the control point. For example, if the enemy Sigma uses "Gravitic Flux" and as a result, the team fails to hold their position, it's a valid reason to post the sarcastic expression.
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Another group holds the opinion that the basis for C9 is the human factor: players forgot the true objective of the match. Judging by the origin and the situation from which this expression emerged, this interpretation seems the most accurate, as in the 2017 tournament, Cloud9, albeit with some reservations, abandoned holding the point without a clear necessity.
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There is also another faction that spams this phrase in the chat simply for their own amusement or to irritate opponents. Additionally, you might sometimes encounter other variations of this phrase: "K9" or "Z9." Generally, they mean the same thing, but regarding "Z9," there is a belief in the community that this expression is a kind of "metameme," popularized by the blogger xQc. It mocks people who use "C9" incorrectly.
What is the reason for the popularity of C9?
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To answer this question, it's essential to understand the backstory of the Overwatch Apex Season 2 events. At that time, Cloud9 was an entire organization that included professional teams from various competitive games, from Dota 2 to Hearthstone. In the session-based hero shooter, they had arguably the best esports roster competing on the professional scene. They were a kind of heavyweight and appeared to be one of the strongest Western teams.
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On the other hand, they were up against Afreeca Freecs Blue, which did not have outstanding achievements. Among fans, there was almost unanimous agreement that Cloud9 would win the match effortlessly. However, what happened was unexpected. A few ridiculous mistakes led the Western fighters to be expelled from the tournament in disgrace, and their tactical foolishness was immortalized by the fan base. Much of this was because such a strange event occurred in the "top league," making the phrase popular, although its true meaning is sometimes lost now.
We hope you managed to understand what C9 means in Overwatch. Be sure to share this with your friends so that even more people are aware of this interesting aspect of the gaming community's life!
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