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Cloud9 has officially appointed Nick “Inero” Smith as the new Head Coach of its League of Legends roster, marking the start of a new chapter for the North American organisation. The move comes shortly after the departure of Bok “Reapered” Han-gyu, who had been in his second stint with the team.

Inero, 31, joined Cloud9 in November 2024 as a coach and now steps up into the lead role for the first time since leaving Immortals in September 2024. Before joining C9, he built his coaching résumé across multiple organisations including Dream Team, Echo Fox, Golden Guardians, Disguised and Immortals.

Building on 2025 results

Although Cloud9 entered 2025 as one of LTA North’s strongest squads, the team’s form faltered in the latter half of the year. C9 recorded a top-four finish at the LTA Cross-Conference tournament and reached the finals of Split 2, but their Worlds run ended early. A defeat to 100 Thieves in Split 3 left them outside qualification for the 2025 League of Legends World Championship in China.

Missing Worlds closed the book on Cloud9’s 2025 season, giving Inero an opportunity to reshape the roster and introduce new strategies ahead of the 2026 LCS campaign. With C9 already a six-time LCS champion and boasting 10 Worlds appearances in its history, expectations will remain sky-high.

The end of the Reapered era (again)

Reapered’s exit signals the close of his second run as C9’s Head Coach. He first joined the organisation in 2016 after transitioning from a successful playing career into coaching with EDward Gaming. During his initial tenure, he led Cloud9 to consistent top finishes, including a top-four placement at Worlds 2018, which remains the highest finish for a North American team at the event.

Under his leadership, Cloud9 also dominated the 2020 LCS Spring Split, dropping just one match on their way to lifting the trophy after sweeping FlyQuest in the Grand Final. Reapered later coached 100 Thieves and Sengoku Gaming before returning to Cloud9 in 2024, though his second stint ended after the team’s struggles in 2025.

Looking forward

For Inero, this is not just a promotion but a chance to cement his legacy as a head coach. With a strong history of developing rosters across multiple orgs, he will be tasked with steering Cloud9 back to the top of the LCS and ensuring they’re once again in contention on the global stage.

Fans won’t have to wait too long to see how his leadership shapes the team, as the 2026 season promises to be one of the most competitive yet.