Cellium's SND Slump in Stage II - By the Numbers

Throughout the first half of the 2026 CDL season, Riyadh Falcons’ Cellium has been one of the best players in both respawn modes consistently. However, Stage II presented a rare rough patch for the veteran superstar, particularly in Search and Destroy, where uncharacteristic struggles left both fans and talent questioning what’s behind the dip. After excelling in nearly every area of play to open the season, his recent stretch has highlighted how even the league’s most dependable performers can go through tough form.

Stage II Downfall

In Stage II, Cellium’s SND numbers took a noticeable downturn. Whether it was opening duels, slaying, or inconsistency in clutch rounds, the usually calculated AR found himself off rhythm in several key series. Here are some key statistics & stage ranks out of 51 players:

○ 0.64 K/D (50th)
○ 30.4% Opening Duel Win Percentage (50th)
○ 0.51 Kills per Round (50th)
○ 107 ADR (7th)
○ 60.3% of Rounds with 0 Kills (50th)
○ 10.3% of Rounds with 2+ Kills (50th)
○ 7.1% Clutch Win Rate (38th, 1 for 14)

The Falcons’ record across SND maps reflected that shift, as the team had the League's worst record of 4-11. Riyadh lost both SND maps during the Major as well, which helped lead the team to a Top 8 finish after a promising qualifier.

📸 Photo by @CODLeague

Stage I Peaks

What makes the slump stand out even more is how dominant Cellium was just one stage prior. In Stage I, he was one of the league’s top SND players by nearly every measure:

○ 1.39 K/D (2nd)
○ 65.5% Opening Duel Win Percentage (5th)
○ 0.86 Kills per Round (2nd)
○ 134.5 ADR (2nd)
○ 43.5% of Rounds with 0 Kills (9th)
○ 24.3% of Rounds with 2+ Kills (2nd)
○ 10.0% Clutch Win Rate (32nd, 1 for 10)

His top play helped propel Riyadh into being an above-average SND team during Stage I, ending the stage with a 7-6 record. With the peak that the Falcons have in the respawn modes, if they can unlock the Cellium from Stage I, they'll be back to being a hard team to take down in any mode.

Which Cellium will arrive in Stage III?

Even with the downturn, there’s plenty of optimism heading toward Stage III. Cellium has proven time and again that slumps are temporary, not trends. With the Falcons aiming to refine their SND and recapture their early-season form, a bounce-back feels almost in the cards. With the new map pool incoming (reported by Ronnie Intel), this allows the squad to reset & build from the ground up during the break.