Marvel Rivals has reignited the nostalgic feelings of Overwatch’s golden days: quirky hero interactions, epic plays, and, of course, costly mistakes that can determine the outcome of an entire match. Overwatch’s well-known “C9” meme has resurfaced, much to the chagrin of one of the former esports players involved.
“MARVEL RIVALS’ SURGING POPULARITY MEANS A WAVE OF NEW PLAYERS ARE ENCOUNTERING THE ‘C9’ CONCEPT AND REALIZING THAT I WAS INVOLVED IN ITS CREATION. PLEASE LET ME MOVE ON,” expressed Lucas “Mendo” Håkansson on X (formerly Twitter).
Håkansson competed on Cloud9’s Overwatch team in 2017 and played a role in popularizing a phrase that is still used within the gaming community. The C9 meme originated during an Overwatch Apex Season 2 match where Håkansson’s team failed to secure the objective, resulting in a round loss despite dominating the battle. This blunder occurred multiple times, leading viewers to flood Twitch chat with “C9 LUL” comments. In the third round, Håkansson was notably at fault for neglecting the objective to execute a powerful move with Soldier: 76, although the meme was a collective team mishap.
The mention of C9 becomes inevitable in Overwatch chats when players prioritize eliminations over completing objectives, and this trend is spilling over into Marvel Rivals as well. The dynamic nature of payloads in Marvel Rivals, which shift based on the last team to make contact, contributes to the frequency of C9 moments. In team-based games, it’s common for individuals to assume that someone else will handle the objective amidst the chaos of combat. However, the embarrassment escalates when no team member takes charge, especially in a professional setting.
Despite ongoing debates in Reddit discussions regarding the precise definition of a C9 scenario (such as whether it applies when the objective is too perilous to approach), Marvel Rivals showcases that as long as there are objectives to disregard, C9 blunders will persist.