Liquid have finally ended their long streak without LAN tournament victories. The team became champions of iBUYPOWER Masters FML 2026 in Las Vegas, going through the entire tournament without losing a single map and adding important points to the Valve ranking.
First LAN trophy in seven years
For Liquid, this victory became their first LAN trophy in roughly seven years. Yes, iBUYPOWER Masters FML 2026 was not one of the biggest tournaments of the season, but for a team that has been trying for a long time to return to stable results, even such a success matters.
The tournament took place in Las Vegas from September 25 to 27 and had a total prize pool of $30,000. For first place, Liquid received $12,500, while Wildcard took $7,000 after losing in the final.
Liquid went through the tournament without losing a map
Liquid’s path to the title was as clean as possible. In the group stage, the team first defeated Chicken Coop 2:0, and then dealt with NRG by the same score to advance directly to the playoffs.
In the semi-final, Liquid left M80 no chance — 2:0. In the decisive match, their opponent was Wildcard, but that series also ended in a clean victory. As a result, Liquid won four matches in a row with a 2:0 score.
We Love Jorko Pt.2 pic.twitter.com/uIaGV7xi79
— Team Liquid CS (@TeamLiquidCS) September 28, 2026
Final against Wildcard
Wildcard reached the final through a different path: after an unsuccessful start in the group, the team went through elimination and decider matches, and then knocked out DENDELE in the semi-final. However, they were unable to stop Liquid in the main series of the tournament.
Liquid closed the final 2:0 and finished the LAN with a perfect map record. It was consistency throughout the entire tournament that became the team’s main difference compared to most of their opponents.
The victory helped in VRS
The tournament also brought Liquid an important ranking bonus. As a result of their run, the team received 116 VRS points and rose to 1504 points, which allowed them to take 16th place in Valve’s ranking.
For Liquid, this is especially important against the backdrop of the fight for invites to future tournaments. Even a Tier-2 LAN can significantly affect a team’s position in VRS if they go through it without mistakes and secure the maximum result.
A small trophy, but an important result
iBUYPOWER Masters FML 2026 is unlikely to become the biggest victory in Liquid’s history, but in the current situation the team got exactly what it needed: a trophy, a winning streak, and additional ranking points.
Now the main question is whether Liquid can carry this form into stronger tournaments. The first LAN trophy in seven years is already there, but the real indicator of progress will be how the team looks against stable Tier-1 opponents.
