Team Liquid have confirmed a temporary lineup update ahead of Logitech G Play Connect 2026. Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa will miss this single tournament for personal reasons. He has not been benched, and the team expects him back with the squad soon.
Vladan “VLDN” Radević, a Serbian rifler, will step in as a stand-in for this event only. As a result, Liquid head into a major Tier 2 LAN with one temporary substitution, and fans will want to know how the change affects the team’s chances this week.
Why the Change Matters
Liquid have stayed active across the CS2 circuit in recent months. For example, the team competed in the Esports World Cup 2026 open qualifiers, the Stake Pulse Beat I series, and the BLAST Bounty Summer 2026. Therefore, any short-term absence draws attention ahead of a Tier 2 event, since consistency often decides results at this level.
MalbsMd still holds his regular spot in Liquid’s starting five. Meanwhile, his absence from this single tournament simply means the team needed a reliable stand-in on short notice. After all, Logitech G Play Connect 2026 starts just days after the announcement.
Tournament Details and Liquid’s First Opponent
Logitech G Play Connect 2026 runs as an offline CS2 tournament in Poland from September 17 to September 23, 2026. GAM3RS_X organizes the event, and it carries an A-Tier, Valve Tier 2 designation along with a total prize pool of $100,000.
Twelve teams will take part. First, a single round-robin group stage decides seeding, and every match in this stage uses a best-of-one format. Then, the top three teams from each of the two groups advance to the playoffs. From there, the format shifts to single elimination: teams play best-of-three matches throughout, while the grand final uses a best-of-five format.
Liquid will open their campaign against INFINITE in Group B. Specifically, the match is scheduled for September 18, 2026, and, in line with the group stage format, the teams will play a single best-of-one map.
Liquid will field:
- Georgi “Jorko” Mitev
- Vladan “VLDN” Radević
- Keith “NAF” Markovic
- Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski
- Johnny “JT” Theodosiou
- Viktor “flashie” Bea (Coach)
What Comes Next
Liquid’s performance at Logitech G Play Connect 2026 will show how well VLDN integrates into the lineup on short notice. Meanwhile, malbsMd is expected to rejoin the team once this tournament concludes and his personal matters are resolved. For now, the team’s focus shifts to the opening match against INFINITE, which will set the tone for their run through the group stage.
