Liquid’s European descent looms as their Major dream is starting to vanish

Team Liquid may be on the verge of forfeiting their second CS2 Major appearance, as their current form appears decidedly unconvincing. Should this transpire, it would constitute their third missed Major, following PGL Major Krakow 2017 and PGL Major Copenhagen 2024.

No more multi-region representation exploit for Liquid

Recently, Liquid had enjoyed the privilege of  invitations, sometimes even deep into the Major via the Americas VRS. At the Perfect World Shanghai Major, for instance, despite fielding a multinational roster comprising two European players (shy and ultimate), two North Americans (Twistzz and NAF), and one Oceania representative (jks), they qualified under the NA banner.

However, beginning with the StarLadder Budapest Major, Valve amended its regulations by abolishing multi region representation, thereby stripping Liquid of their NA designation. In Budapest, they were relegated to a Stage 2 invite, and now they find themselves perilously distant from even securing a berth in the opening stage of the forthcoming IEM Cologne 2026 Major.

Liquid is almost out of the Major run already

Seventeen European teams will advance to the Major:

• Top six to Stage 3
• 7 through 11 to Stage 2
• 12 through 17 to Stage 1

Liquid currently sit at 21st in the European rankings, trailing behind the likes of as illwill, HOTU, 3DMAX, BetBoom, and others. With invites locking in on April 6, Liquid are left with only ESL Pro League Season 23 and BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026 to accrue the requisite VRS points.

However, they are already 0-2 after losses to Passion UA and the lowest ranked team at the event, Gaimin Gladiators. They now face elimination against SemperFi, and a defeat there would all but extinguish their Major aspirations. Accounting for time decay, Liquid are projected to fall below the 30th rank before qualification concludes, slipping beneath the likes of BC.Game, 100 Thieves, and NIP. Should this materialize, it would constitute one of the most ignominious Major qualification collapses in the organization’s history.

The team needs a complete overhaul

Looking at this year’s stats, Liquid’s predicament cannot be ascribed to a single individual. It is difficult to figure out whether siuhy’s structure is faltering, or whether the stars are simply failing to manifest, but the optics are bleak. None of the star players, aside from NertZ, have performed to expectation. ultimate sits at a 1.01 rating, EliGE at 1.00, and NAF at 1.00. Even on their own map pick Mirage, they hold a mere 40 percent win rate, including defeats to G2, NIP, and Passion UA.

It appears increasingly plausible that Liquid will miss Major qualification and enter an overhaul phase thereafter. The excision of siuhy and ultimate from the starting lineup is conceivable, potentially making way for a different IGL and a better AWPer. EliGE has not been particularly compelling since his return, so his place may also be precarious. In all honesty, apart from perhaps NertZ, no player seems entirely insulated, and multiple changes to Liquid appear imminent.