Cloud9 announced the signing of James “Hat” Hatfield, who has joined their Rainbow Six Siege roster. This event intrigued the North American scene: the player returned to the forefront after missing the first stage of the season. Hat replaced Jayden “Packer” Franz, who left the team on August 14.

Player's Journey to Cloud9

Hat debuted on the pro scene in 2023 with beastcoast, and later played for Luminosity Gaming and Oxygen Esports. With the latter organization, he reached the international level, making it to the top 8 at the Six Invitational 2025.

After parting ways with Oxygen, Hatfield moved to the second division of North America, joining the mix IVsakeN. The team surprised fans but fell just short of making it to the top league, losing to the future roster of ENVY.

Now, Hat has officially become part of Cloud9, where the team aims to qualify for the BLAST R6 Major Munich. The task is challenging: the team didn't earn any points in the first split, while leading positions in the league are firmly held by Spacestation, DarkZero, Shopify Rebellion, and Oxygen Esports.

Signing Hat is an opportunity for Cloud9 to revive their ambitions on the international stage. The player has top-level experience and has already proven capable of leading a team to high results. The only question is whether he can break into the top 6 in North America with Cloud9 and secure a spot at the Major in Munich.