Team Liquid has confirmed another change to its lineup ahead of the Logitech G Play Connect tournament. Head coach Viktor “flashie” Tamás Bea will step away from the team to attend his sister’s wedding. As a result, he will not be present for the group stage matches.
This news matters because Liquid is already dealing with a roster change for this event. The team is now facing two separate absences during the same tournament, which raises questions about how the squad will adapt during a crucial early stage.
Coaching Duties Shift To DeMars DeRover
Liquid announced the update through an official statement. The organization explained that flashie will return to the team later in the tournament, once the group stage has concluded. In his place, analyst Jay “DeMars DeRover” Li will take over coaching duties for the round-robin matches.
A Second Stand-In Joins The Roster
This is not the only change to Liquid’s roster for Logitech G Play Connect. The team had previously announced that Vladan “VLDN” Radević will stand in for Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa. Samayoa is missing the event due to personal reasons.
With this change, Liquid’s active lineup for the tournament is:
- Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski
- Keith “NAF” Markovic
- Johnny “JT” Theodosiou
- Georgi “Jorko” Mitev
- Vladan “VLDN” Radević
Jay “DeMars DeRover” Li leads the team as coach for the group stage, with Viktor “flashie” Tamás Bea set to rejoin once he returns.
Group Stage Draw And First Opponent
Liquid will compete in Group B of Logitech G Play Connect. The group also includes Inner Circle Esports, 3DMAX, EYEBALLERS, INFINITE, and BBL Esports. All group stage matches are played in a best-of-one format.
Liquid will open its campaign against INFINITE on Friday, September 18. This match will mark VLDN’s debut for the team. Four further best-of-one matches against the remaining group opponents will follow during the round-robin stage.
Liquid closed its announcement with a message of support. The organization wished flashie and his family a great celebration during this time away from the team.
What This Means For Liquid’s Group Stage
With two players and staff members absent, Liquid will rely on temporary replacements to get through the group stage. DeMars DeRover steps into a coaching role for the first time in this tournament, while VLDN makes his debut against INFINITE before facing Inner Circle Esports, EYEBALLERS, 3DMAX, and BBL Esports. Therefore, how these substitutes perform could shape Liquid’s results in Group B before flashie and the full lineup are able to reunite later in the event.
