The recent roster swap between Liquid and G2, which sent Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa to Liquid and Guy “NertZ” Iluz to G2, immediately sparked debate in the Counter-Strike community. The move allowed Liquid to return to an American core and improve their position in the Americas Valve Regional Standings (VRS) ahead of the Major qualification cut-off. However, analysts believe the deeper issue may not be the region itself. Instead, the team’s recent results continue to decline.
Region switch may not solve the real problem
The transfer gives Liquid a better path toward Major qualification. By moving back to the Americas VRS region, the team avoids the crowded European rankings.
Still, recent results suggest that Liquid’s problems go far beyond the qualification format. At HyperX Roman Imperium Cup VI, the team suffered defeats against Gaimin Gladiators and Famalicão. Those losses added to a growing list of disappointing performances. The trend already appeared at ESL Pro League Season 23 Stage 1. Liquid lost to Passion UA in their opening match. Later, they were eliminated after a defeat against 3DMAX.
Earlier tournaments showed the same pattern. At IEM Kraków 2026, Liquid lost to FUT and G2, ending their run early. Their appearance at BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 1 Finals also ended quickly after a loss to Falcons. Taken together, these results highlight a clear trend. Liquid have struggled to maintain consistent form across several recent tournaments.
Kassad criticizes the system
The move also triggered criticism of the VRS qualification system. Former coach and analyst Aleksandar “kassad” Trifunovic argued that the region switch exposes weaknesses in the current format.
Not the best PR move for Liquid — switching regions in this way and probably securing a spot at the Major, but don’t blame them for it. Blame the rules and the system.
Kassad pointed to Liquid’s recent losses as the real concern. In his view, the results show deeper competitive problems.
Community debate grows
The discussion quickly spread across social media. Fans began debating whether the roster move actually fixes Liquid’s problems. Some users defended the decision. They argued that the current qualification format forces teams into such moves.
It’s either this or RMRs with BO1s, one user wrote.
Others took a more critical stance. They suggested that Liquid’s roster issues go beyond a single player change. Another fan argued that teams grinding regional LAN events should earn Major spots instead of organizations benefiting from regional classification changes.
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Liquid still face a difficult road
Liquid still need to play several official matches with malbsMd before the Major qualification deadline. The roster must meet Valve’s eligibility rules. To reach that requirement, the team plans to attend several upcoming tournaments. These include BLAST Open Rotterdam, DraculaN, and the WINAMAX Counter-Strike 2 Trophy. Even with those events ahead, questions remain about Liquid’s form. The roster change may improve their Major chances. However, their recent results suggest that deeper issues still remain.
