Overwatch 2: What Is C9?

Special lingo and gaming terminology have always been essential parts of gamer culture. While some immediately recognize the infamous battle cry "Leeroy Jenkins!" with nostalgic fondness, others connect more with Keanu Reeves' iconic E3 2019 appearance where he delivered the legendary line: "Wake up, Samurai." Although memes spread rapidly through communities, some - like the expression "C9" - remain shrouded in mystery for many players. This article will thoroughly examine the origins and meaning behind this peculiar phrase.

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How Did the Term C9 Originate? What Does C9 Mean in Overwatch? Disagreements on the Definition of C9 What is the reason for the popularity of C9? 0 0 Comment on this

How Did the Term C9 Originate?

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Though commonly heard in various competitive shooters today - particularly in Overwatch 2 - the term actually traces back to the first game during a 2017 tournament (Apex Season 2). The match featured powerhouse team Cloud9 against underdogs Afreeca Freecs Blue. Despite Cloud9's clear dominance throughout most of the match, their players suddenly lost focus and began aggressively chasing enemy eliminations while completely neglecting the objective on Lijiang Tower.

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The commentators and audience were stunned, as was AF Blue who seized this opportunity for an unlikely victory. Incredibly, Cloud9 repeated this same tactical blunder twice more on subsequent maps! This legendary moment became immortalized as "C9" (derived from Cloud9's name) and continues to appear during streams and professional matches today.

What Does C9 Mean in Overwatch?

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Fundamentally, when players spam "C9" in chat, it indicates a team made a fundamental strategic error by forgetting map objectives - referencing that infamous 2017 tournament moment. Typically occurring when teams become overly focused on eliminating enemies while neglecting objective control, this triggers the now-iconic sarcastic chat spam once the oversight becomes apparent.

Disagreements on the Definition of C9

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The community remains divided about what truly constitutes a C9. Some argue it applies to any uncontrolled point abandonment, like when enemies displace defenders using Sigma's "Gravitic Flux." Others maintain it specifically requires the human error aspect - just as Cloud9 forgot the core objective without external pressure. Given the term's origins, this latter interpretation seems most accurate.

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A third group uses "C9" indiscriminately - sometimes just to troll enemies. Variations like "K9" or "Z9" also circulate - the latter popularized by streamer xQc as meta-commentary mocking incorrect usage of the original term.

Also read: Mercy: a detailed analysis of the character from Overwatch 2

What is the reason for the popularity of C9?

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To understand C9's popularity, we must revisit the context of Overwatch Apex Season 2. Cloud9 represented a premier esports organization fielding elite rosters across multiple games. Their Overwatch team was considered among the world's best, making their inexplicable collapse against underdog AF Blue particularly shocking. The sheer unexpectedness of this elite tactical failure at the highest competitive level made it legendary - though its precise meaning has blurred over time.

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We hope this clarifies the meaning behind "C9" in Overwatch. Share this article to spread awareness about this fascinating piece of gaming culture!