ICONIC Esports Moments: Cloud9's historic win at the Boston Major

In Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the Major is everything.
There are other big tournaments, with their own prestige and their own history. But Majors are in a class of their own. The prize pool and the bragging rights stand apart.
And, until January, North America had yet to win a single one.
Written by Josh Bury (@ThrownGauntlet)
Edited by Alex Debets (@ajdebets)
Voiced by Colin McNeil (@McNeilColin)
All footage courtesy of:
pastebin.com/W...
Music used under license from Associated Production Music LLC (”APM”).
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[@theScoreesports]

This video has been re-uploaded from a previous version due to a missing clip. Sorry about that.

[@oxy8821]

theScore esports cloud9 ? Nah CLOUD9 the movie yeah

[@gabewoods7630]

I'm telling my Mom. So watch out. She owns Microsoft They make Play Station so yea ha.

[@Evitrea]

12:31 didn't fade in

[@hamieon3096]

It’s ok

[@baldoggie]

@@hamieon3096 no

[@vnfg1000]

No matter what people say about Cloud 9 today, this was a historic moment that you cant take away ever

[@AKagNA]

Feelings, just try to feel the scene, feel the prize, feel the hardwork, everything done to get there. I think i'll never forget.

[@everettd]

then feel every C9 fan's hope and joy get shattered when the new dynasty's future was all thrown away due to Snake2k

[@AKagNA]

@@everettd :D yes i am mad to Stew because of this

[@Troopster1232]

Everett D. Hes a snake for pursuing an opportunity to further his career as professional csgo player? Right.

[@everettd]

@@Troopster1232 yeah

[@jeffpulohanan9226]

faze with their team color of black and red looks like a villain boss that needs to be defeated

[@bels6277]

u forgot about astralis

[@jmfirelord]

The Best I like how White and Blue represent Good in most Games While black and Red represent Bad or Evil.

[@leferraille7207]

@@jmfirelord The Cloud9 roster is a the protagonist squad in a fucking anime and FaZe was the final boss

[@abuzarshaikh5353]

So true

[@georgegeliashvili4970]

Omg so true

[@bigzerofps]

“Send them home” the chant heard round the world

[@jmoney7682]

Garrett I heard cannonball

[@camerondebello2357]

I get chills every time I hear that final chant

[@joedav67]

I was there in attendance. First esports event I've ever been to. I guess I picked the right one lol.

[@RanjanKumar-cs2yg]

i think u picked the best one..!! i don't think any major final would come anywhere near this final on terms of emotional stature and crowd feel..!! just see the london major final.. it was so boring and the audience was sleeping the whole time.!!

[@PsFlux]

Ranjan Kumar No.. I was there and the crowd was insane, we were chanting more or less the entire time, and a lot of other crazy shit, some dude who looked like jesus was running lone the sideline of the chairs as everyone did a mexican wave rofl. Looks like the crowd is boring only because they put the camera on the crowd when nothing is happening in game so we have nothing to hype about. The games may have been short with most being 2-0 and Astralis fucking everyone, but it was still a really fun major if attended rather than watching from home, it was the first time I have been to an event and I do not regret it even if the games were "boring". Either way I thought Astralis's teamwork and co-ordination was beautiful counterstrike.

[@NotCondorTheBird]

Same! i was living in Boston at the time and thought why not, never watched CSGO before, im A League of Legends guy and went to support C9 as the LoL C9 had a historic run the same year. Go C9!

[@Athanasiades__]

@@NotCondorTheBird ahahahaha lmao

[@laserdemonfrostmage8421]

You picked one of the greatest events tbh

[@TheRaptor3860]

I was there, any time ska fired an awp shot an hit, crowd:AHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[@Spencer-mb6qi]

@Lucky Chance true, you could even hear them on stream

[@Ryl0o]

I wish I could have been there live but still was on the edge of my chair when it was that final ot 2 round

[@boocebungus5839]

I was there to it was a incredible atmosphere and amazing day I’ll never forget

[@27dar_]

still cant believe stew doesnt have an immortalized graffiti on newbox/triple on b inferno

[@christopherchapman5077]

Mark Darryl should’ve put an American propaganda poster on the new box pillar

[@JoeriiJL]

Lol it’s not even a memorable play, just a regular clutch..

[@moderatioon2854]

it wasn't just a regular clutch, it was a clutch that led to overtime and a chance to win it all.

[@27dar_]

"Not even a memorable play" damn man, did you even watch the finals?

[@mikz2006]

this guy tho

[@ranierocapitillo7313]

Im now a fan of pro CSGO. And the first match I watched was this finals... I felt so hyped and I barely knew whats was going on but the feeling was amazing man. I'm glad I watched this historic CSGO moment live on twitch.

[@apollo4115]

Imagine how nerve-racking it was for people watching that knew what was going on. I was fucking on the edge of my seat the entire 3rd map. Welcome to the CSGO community dude, even if it a toxic one at most times.

[@owenmcadams8546]

Raniero Capitillo this game got me into pro cs as well

[@asunkenp1ace]

This was the first cs match I ever saw too, wild

[@PapaSmurff660]

Now go watch cologne 2015 and katowice 2015 for me

[@CronusAkuma]

i was shitting my pants dude

[@HawksNestYT]

this kind of structure just makes it fell so insane.... I love it!

[@nagendramnadimpalli3253]

Why are you here Lol

[@yeszsirlegit8894]

Yeah Why?

[@guadalupeallen8433]

Don't mind me, just re-living the glory days. I was there when Autimatic took up the double AWP and did so many things for them on Overpass. I was there when Skadoodle got shots that should have been impossible and drove the crowd wild. I was there when Stewie got clutches and crazy plays that should have given him the MVP for that major. I was there behind Cloud9 every step of the Top 8, and they didn't let me down. I can't deny I miss this roster. At least Stewie is on the best NA team now, and Tarik on what might be the second-best NA team. Honestly, them being removed from MIBR is a bit of a win-win for everyone.

[@febriandhani4859]

@@nagendramnadimpalli3253 8 months late lol but he used to play for cloud 9 tho

[@tescomealdeal5234]

Not sure y ur here but nice

[@hilldrossassociateslawfirm6129]

Man, I miss this squad....

[@ibanezjohnson2604]

We all do.. we all do

[@trouble2-u923]

Now ska is gone..

[@dv7551]

Stew Tarik Rush Auti Cerq 2019

[@saeedatenzi]

@@dv7551 lol tarik and stwei will never leave mibr for c9

[@dv7551]

@@saeedatenzi hypothetical

[@Cath_95]

'I'm not crying, you are crying....Stop'

[@frelopermanboy7426]

ok

[@Cool70sfreak]

Don't mind me, just re-living the glory days. I was there when Autimatic took up the double AWP and did so many things for them on Overpass. I was there when Skadoodle got shots that should have been impossible and drove the crowd wild. I was there when Stewie got clutches and crazy plays that should have given him the MVP for that major. I was there behind Cloud9 every step of the Top 8, and they didn't let me down. I can't deny I miss this roster. At least Stewie is on the best NA team now, and Tarik on what might be the second-best NA team. Honestly, them being removed from MIBR is a bit of a win-win for everyone.

[@elleebakshis1379]

What roaster are they on now btw? I switched eSports games to watch from CSGO to R6 but I enjoy both and remember this game.

[@JM-xm3yy]

@@elleebakshis1379 stewie's at liquid, the 2nd best csgo team in the world, while tarik is at eg (formerly named nrg), the 2nd best NA team

[@nikolavideomaker]

TBH they were pretty lucky and had the hometown advantage. We've seen a country like South Korea finish 3rd at the World Cup, because of hometown advantage. Nonetheless great performances.

[@sienrid]

​@@nikolavideomaker They were pretty unlucky too, the crazy thing is C9 had the hardest road possible, going down 0-2 in Legends and then their playoffs run was the #3 seed, the #2 seed, and then the #1 seed lol

[@rohit.v.sonwane6793]

It was truly epic video. I have no words to say how good this video was. plz never stop making content like this and a personal request please try to make more videos on cs go love Ur video

[@enochtai]

Woke up at 5am here in Australia to watch this, and boy was it worth it. Insane finals backed by the incredible story behind C9's run.

[@36sufchan]

"He's gonna go back, Stewie's on his own, but look at the time! Look at the time, they've seven seconds to plant the bomb! They're trying to build pyramids, but there's no more clay! Stewie's won the round, we're going to overtime!"

[@rm2124]

Tarik standing up and getting the crowd going was the moment I knew they were gonna win it all

[@r1n548]

Quantise - you got the quote wrong there, at the end, he actually says “but there’s no more clay”

[@36sufchan]

@@r1n548 ah I stand corrected

[@Goldencorn101]

I never got that "They're trying to build pyramids" line

[@siroccupy6041]

Some of the best casting in the history of cs

[@KuyaArbee]

from 0-2 to 3-2 THEN TO WIN THE MAJOR!!!! LEGENDARY MOMENT!!!! BEST MAJOR EVER! PERIOD!!!!

[@noodlehair6566]

still getting goosebumps watching this. I watched the finals on stream and watching it now is as hype inducing as back then

[@remy7663]

A year later and I still got goosebumps man.

[@algorithm1193]

It's been over 3 years and I still get that same warm fuzzy feeling inside me when I rewatch it. And to think that Cloud9 isn't even in CSGO anymore... makes me sad man

[@insanesky8661]

That's not a day I'm going to be forgetting anytime soon. Great piece

[@Corrupted]

AMAZING Content!

[@hvrst6241]

PHENOMENAL

[@steven_merriam]

Whenever I see fazes faces after their loss it kinda makes me feel bad Bc some of those guys are the best to ever play and were so close but on the other hand it’s like fuck yeah NA baby

[@thesnackbandit]

@@phunki1696 Faze is finished now. GuardiaN, rain and NiKo will never win a major.

[@Darkswe]

@@thesnackbandit FaZe have been in the top 10 consistently since picking up Broky and Coldzera even during the online era, don't count them out just yet

[@thesnackbandit]

@@Darkswe With this roster? I highly doubt it. They need to make a change where they bring in a specialist IGL so that NiKo can focus on fragging. I don't think NiKo is good enough as an IGL to win a tournament like that. They have a chance but it is incredibly slim.

[@chadlee3401]

@@Darkswe Lmao Faze is literally garbage recently they lost 5 in a row and all of them were 0-2's

[@flakron2489]

@@thesnackbandit niko? hes in g2 now, that team looks pretty good

[@nthitchman]

this video, Stew clutches B site 14-15 gives chills and when they take the major it intensifies. just like coldzera inferno B halls hold right when the announcers say "A JUMPING DOUBLE FROM COLD" truly marvelous

[@tylerleonard472]

I still get chills from when I was there to now rewatching any video

[@SavingFails]

I literally cry every time. What an amazing run from C9. I remember losing feeling in my pinky finger because I was praying on my desk so hard and pinching my elbow nerves.

[@tylerleonard472]

Seeing this in person was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen I lost my voice every day from screaming so much

[@skar9556]

Hands down the best Major Grand Finals as well as a great underdog triumph.

[@sh4rrppl4ys49]

This was 6 years ago. I was 15 in first grade of high school when this match was played it was 1AM,had school in less than 6 hours but I stayed the entire night cheering for C9 even tho Im European and NiKo is from my country I couldnt contain myself when Stewie did that magic with AWP on B. And when the final kill landed I started jumping on my bed and went to school later on. Simpler times I wish I could go back to 2018 when I didnt have to go to work everyday and I could just play CS all day.

[@Colver47]

Uncle Sam, the Statue of Liberty, and Hulk Hogan all shed a tear that day.

[@leomcjagger5692]

They shed a tear cause they needed 2 Asians and 1 Turk to finally get them a title 😂

[@leomcjagger5692]

JJAMES they are Americans when they win yah something on the name of our banner. Yeah that’s what I thought. Stay at fortnite kiddo. Clearly you know nothing.

[@tylerblalack6684]

@@leomcjagger5692 Nah, they're just literally American citizens. So..... Americans. Idk why thats hard for you to understand lmao

[@timcal2136]

Leo Mcjagger ...what? All of them were born and raised in America...

[@icceeyy_4601]

@@leomcjagger5692 race baiter KEKW, race isint everything buddy lmao

[@sgtjeramelsamsonlaymarespa9965]

This will never get old! This was the best CSGO Finals I've watched.

[@m8mZ]

easily

[@ajfernandez196]

It's already pass 2 years now, and this still gives me goosebumps

[@Venenatis263]

3 years now, but yeah it does

[@itsnotcolby]

ngl re watching this years later, its so amazing to see. The fact they won it in one of the largest citys in America for NAs first and only major is CRAZY

[@SlimeyCraft]

gotta be honest, I don't even play CS but the esports scene is so awesome i like it so much.

[@DeltaDS]

"But look at the time!" still gives me chills

[@ga0tza]

I was in school when the major was active I remember so vividly having my phone behind my books just so I could watch the stream

[@insecurepp]

I remember watching this live, I literally cried. Now I have nobody to cheer for :( I guess go mibr!

[@adeelrehman7692]

Liquid?

[@lachlanedwards05]

I watched it live too.

[@omath3ro149]

NonVibrant why what happens to them

[@CronusAkuma]

astralis and liquid are 2 teams i think are very good but MiBR is my new C9

[@cazulon1122]

Amir Amir MiTR*

[@ZaNix7]

1:48 THAT'S ME!!!! WE MADE IT!

[@luminescentlion]

The "Send them home" chant as they won the last round was insane

[@rewind4964]

I like faze, happy that cloud 9 won man this was tough/

[@RefreshDRG]

6 years later, still fantastic. Perfect major

[@Hruaikeua]

this channel is way better thab T-series and deserve way more subs

[@theniche8664]

Why tho elaborate

[@vinitsingh3399]

Did you see Coffee Break's video as well? :D

[@yuval1168]

Remruata Hmar than*

[@enoch6499]

Alexa，delete T-series

[@tablepin3356]

Vinit Singh probably not. His name is India

[@jakem5029]

I remember watching the finals live. It was incredible to revisit this major again on youtube! TY

[@killroy2k]

watching that third map and c9 winning the final is always going to give me the chills

[@flickgamehes1e591]

Tarik was so big.

[@loop1e-447]

"Ohh, what has happened?! Cloud9 are your ELEAGUE Major champions!' "Cloud9 has done it!" "Skadoodle has won a major!"

[@Jqxyy]

no matter how many times i watch it it will always give me goosebumps!

[@soulstealer_actual]

i remember watching the livestream to this day, i was almost falling off of my chair and then it happened right in front of my eyes. Me a diehard C9 fan ever since sgares and hiko were playing, i was waiting for it, i had every glimmer of hope and it was amazing. Still to this day i feel goosebumps and i ever tear a little. It was fucking amazing.

[@hvrst6241]

Appreciate GuardiaN, he said gg in the chat meanwhile other were frustrated after the loss and celebrating the win

[@zachle591]

How could you miss Tarik's ace in OT?

[@saxert]

or Ska “HE’S A THREAT” doodle

[@AQGamer525]

or Stewie clutch up again Faze on the Grand Final and send them to OT

[@nothingimportant5158]

Watching this is like watching full movie. My emotions were high to the sky. Perfect music. I will be back in the future watching it over and over again

[@hanseinarfuglum8858]

How did you not mention the kerrigan vs stweie match point 1v1.

[@JackNguyen-]

Kerrigan...

[@hanseinarfuglum8858]

Jack Nguyen sue me

[@manuelfilimon2779]

They missed quite a few rounds. But ohh well

[@it-qp1uo]

I thought it was a 1v1 with niko

[@Athanasiades__]

its a freaking c9 vid the only reason they showed clips of faze is to show how amazing was the comeback thats why the clips of faze were the once that c9 got destroyed

[@ehlude]

can't believe it has been 6 years man. I was 14 when this shit happened on my awful terrible "gaming chair"😭. Happy and cheering that they won. Now i'm 19 about to be 20 what a time it was to be alive back then life was simple and fun growing up sucks 😂

[@robotiick721]

I was at the boston tournament, the amount of energy from the crowd in the final match was overwhelming

[@sochilynx]

Being there in person for this was one of the best things ever. I wasn't planning on going until the sunday before the major when C9 made it through and that sealed the deal for me. I booked my flights and hotel and bought my tickets and they made it worth every penny. The hype of the crowd was just insane. The cheering and chanting louder than any professional sports game I have ever been to, and watching it back on twitch just doesn't give it justice as to just how loud the grand finals were in that little arena. I have hopes C9 or another NA team can win another major soon, and hopefully I can be there in person to watch it again!

[@Neilltheone]

I don’t think people realize how this was probably in terms of talent the most stacked major against c9. They were 0-2 in the upper bracket, and had to win every single series ahead of them against 3 pretty stacked teams. Vp was always a gatekeeper for NA teams on lan, g2 and sk were both championship calibre teams. And that grand final will go down as one of the best in history, with that last map inferno going to double OT, and the amount of adversity they needed to grind back rounds to do so. I feel bad for people who didn’t see this in person, or live. This was the pinnacle of lan tournaments.

[@OfficialBennyzHanna]

Watch this game live. Straight goosbumpbs!

[@napes1]

rewatching these clips is literally giving me chills

[@awpic4022]

17:50 yup I’m still crying to this day

[@bonglenis9524]

C9 was arguably the best na team of the time, i miss them man :”(

[@danielospitia3277]

I remember watching this live. That whole final match was a roller coaster of emotions.

[@NoName-fn5ek]

"Stewie's on his own, but look at the time" has to probably be the most iconic line in a major ever

[@izzitlife557]

Man it’s crazy seeing this a few years in the future and remembering back on those games. It was the first major I ever watched and it was absolutely insane to be a part of it.

[@spooderpig6730]

the hype of the crowd really killed it

[@zac7915]

This video was really well made. Great effort guys. I watched this on my phone at work on the other side of the world. It was so intense. One of the best matches I have ever seen. Cloud 9 gets beaten on their map pick. Faze gets beaten on theirs. Inferno...............what a spectacle that was. I felt really bad for guardian though. If anyone deserved a major title it was him. One of the nicest blokes ive seen in and out of the game. Great video though.

[@gerardojuarez8779]

Forever wishing I saw this live 😢

[@BadgerGamingHQ]

Why am I tearing up? The goosebumps the HYPE AFTER EVERY ROUND C9 WINS

[@surumeman7195]

The power of SNEAKY COSPLAY.

[@charchuuu]

Blessing of the org

[@BigBrothersEnd]

Truely one of the greatest eSports moment of all time

[@wz-fv2ix]

Watched it after offline tv girls didn't know Taric was a major champion. 😆

[@naimas8120]

Same lmfao

[@ICHRISTER1]

Watching the finale live was the best CS night I ever had! (watching/plaing cs since 1.6)

[@Synthesisx123]

Seriously one of the best major's I've seen.

[@MeV2100]

This is easily the best and most important moment in North American Esports history. What C9 did will never be forgotten. Great video.

[@boocebungus5839]

No matter what happens to cloud9 csgo after 2020 they will always be remembered for winning the 2018 eleague major

[@rohanp6604]

I've replayed the last 4 minutes over and over and over again, can't get enough of that win!

[@copotato3423]

Dammnn! The finals always gives me goosebumps!🔥😱

[@blackwiza24]

First time my two teams got to the finals of a major and was happy either won. What a run by C9 truly an insane finale.

[@ricen0odle118]

oh my god this gives me the chills.

[@ceasarcesare5121]

It feels very movie-like, that after a glorious and historic moment, the team didn't last long and some members left. Almost like something you could make a movie out of.

[@80KG_Costco_Chicken]

Don't know how many time I have heard "It is Guardian verse two"

[@reapero4432]

that last round 2v1 against GuardiaN always gives me goosebump

[@onose10000]

not even american, loved cloud9 since hiko's inhuman reactions. this was the best major since katowice15

[@TheBlorgish]

I was at the Boston Major 30ft behind Cloud9 with my brother while they worked through these games. Absolutely so insane!!! Amazing to watch this recap, especially see the 2 of us just to the left of the 3 guys with "U.S.A" at 15:24. Legendary, What a game!

[@roosky13]

16:56 SEND THEM HOME!!!

[@waffless0220]

Of all esports moments. This is the only story that gives me the biggest goosebumps everytime i watch it

[@leo_cad]

I remember being there and thinking to myself, "There's no way they can get past SK" and here we are

[@basketballplayer51]

amazingly put together video - caught the emotions of watching the finals very well

[@RomnysGonzalez]

Stewie and Tarik :(

[@saad9905]

This semifinal match gives me goosebumps to this day

[@cyclon3s]

RIP N0thing and Shroud like the moment they leave Cloud9 wins a major

[@0u7break13]

few months after they leave*

[@explic1t911]

shroud was still in c9, just not on the starting roster. steawie even said that he got some of his playstyle from him

[@PlusSFC]

I was there for it, and I almost missed my bus back to NY because of the overtimes. I'm a liquid fan, had faze winning against c9 in my pick em, but the crowd, most of them waving American flags, including myself, got to me and I nearly cried myself when they won. Here's hoping liquid can win in London

[@crosytsui]

I was there in Boston!!! It was so litttttt

[@ivanbustamante6011]

Who watching in 2020 and still get excited like if we were watching it LIVE...

[@dankycant1tap]

I guess cloud nine never _cries_ Got to make it... Work

[@azuu4285]

Going to this and seeing it with my own eyes and truly feeling the crowd and the excitement has to be one of my greatest memories ever. Let's fucking go Cloud 9

[@adityasundaram9299]

You know Olof a threat when he casually says "it would be fun" to win another major while NA is sweating 50 cals

[@justty5069]

Remember watching the run live was insane. Some of the best CS I’ve ever watched

[@GalluZ]

13:54 the music got me almost crying for some reason xd What's the name?

[@yuiop263]

I want to know too :(

[@nevanbarrett2354]

It is called lively strings

[@kindafatkindastrong5683]

Still get goosebumps and watery eyes rewatching this

[@therocklau]

You should have included the moment stewie should won the game for them but got CSGO'd, his shots obviously hit niko but didn't do damage.

[@jamrah8713]

Nah he didn't. It was a mix of pressure and whiffed the spray. The rng was not in his favour in that moment.

[@yohanarie9374]

i think thats Karrigan not Nikon

[@charlescox8476]

This is honestly my favourite youtube video ever I think. I have watched it 15 times at least and still love it just as much.

[@arep7771]

when i watch cloud9 winning the major, n gambit winning the major before that, i have a feeling that we will see another big suprise coming from underdog team this time especially big, complexty n hellraiser. because its major(theres alot of hype n biggest event ever in csgo) i really do think even underdog in this playoff can win it.

[@apollo4115]

Complexity has really surprised me this Major. I didn't think much of them going into it tbh because i hadn't really followed them and they came out with 3-0 win to make it to the play-offs. Insane. I think they are definitely the underdog for this Major

[@devon4520]

Agreed I think Complexity is for sure underdogs and theyve certainly done better than everyone expected. That MiBR match up is gonna be tough though. Itd be quite the upset if Complexity won. My favorite player on Complexity is for sure Yay and I hope they pop off this champ stage.

[@apollo4115]

@@devon4520 indeed. Dephh is my favourite purely becuase he's from the UK and we gotta rep each other. But I honestly hope they beat mibr and get far.

[@tayren5968]

maybe another BIG as last time BIG qualify top 8 for 3-0 but they lose in quarter which was sad

[@CronusAkuma]

MiBR wins

[@inflam3]

That was not a major, that was an all out war between those teams! What a great finals.