Demon1 joins Cloud9 as OXY substitute

Darragh Harbinson, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 23/01/2026

Maximilian ‘Demon1’ Mazanov has joined Cloud9 following the news that Francis ‘OXY’ Hoang would be stepping away from the game to focus on a family emergency.

The Russian Duelist becomes the Valorant player with the most franchised teams in the esport, following stays at EG, NRG, Leviatán, Dragon Ranger Gaming, and now Cloud9.

Demon1 had been without a team in the offseason, following his brief stint at Dragon Ranger Gaming, which saw him play at Valorant Champions 2025 with the organisation.

The Russian is best known for his success at EG, which saw the team lift the VCT Champions 2023 trophy.

Following that success, Demon1 was drafted into NRG, but was unable to maintain the same level of consistency within the organisation.

A move to Leviatán followed, but Demon1 and the team struggled to have an impact in the region, ultimately finishing 1-4 in the VCT Americas 2025 Stage 1.

Demon1’s career after EG has seen the player be accused of poor work ethic, communication, and inflexibility in his playstyle.

Many view this temporary time with Cloud9 as the final chance for the former World Champion, but it remains to be seen how long he will be on the roster.

All that is guaranteed is his time this weekend, where the Duelist will slot in for OXY’s positions.

Cloud9 deprived of OXY due to personal tragedy

On January 21, Cloud9 posted a statement, stating that OXY would miss the weekend’s VCT Americas Kickoff match(s) due to a family emergency.

Cloud9 stated:

“Cloud9 is deeply saddened to share that due to a family emergency, OXY has returned home to Houston and will not be starting in VCT Americas this weekend.

Our entire organization is fully behind Francis as he takes the time and space he needs and we ask that you respect his privacy during this time.

We have prepared a substitute player to fill in his spot for the time being until he is ready to return to the team. We will be sharing more news on the substitution shortly.”

OXY later shared the context of the family emergency, sharing that his mother had passed away from a form of cancer.

OXY shared the following message on social media:

“Sunday night, my mother passed away from cancer. I’m at a loss for words.

I won’t be able to play the matches this weekend because of her funeral, but I have two favors too ask. 1 pray for my mother. 2. Call your parents and talk to them. You’ll never know when it’s the last time.”

Darragh Harbinson, Senior Editor

Darragh Harbinson is an esports writer specialising in Counter-Strike. He has written for Esports News UK, Esports Insider, UKCSGO, Dexerto, and Rush B Media.

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