Few clubs can claim to have shaped the history of Counter-Strike and global esports like Team Liquid. Yet, as legendary as this crown jewel of the American scene is, the performances of this sacred giant have been slumping for far too long. Caught between questionable strategic choices and a loss of identity, the structure seems trapped in a downward spiral. Faced with this lingering decline and another failure at the IEM Cologne Major 2026, what concrete options are left on the table to orchestrate a return to the forefront?
A Legendary Name Adrift
Born in the StarCraft 2 universe and quickly expanding into Dota 2, the team representing Uncle Sam could not stay away for long from the definitive game of 2015, Counter-Strike. Without wishing to twist the knife in the nostalgic hearts of its fans, Team Liquid quickly climbed to the very top of the hierarchy. A debut appearance in its very first year at Cluj Major 2015 was followed in 2016 by performances still etched in everyone’s memory. A semi-final that felt like a missed title was irreparably dropped to the other phenomenon of that year, Luminosity/SK Gaming. Two maps, two comebacks that were painful to witness, with Liquid leading 15-9 and 15-6 back in the MR15 era, only to ultimately fall 15-19 and 16-19.
Yet back then, they possessed something that might be lost today, resilience. A few months later, they secured an even better result in Cologne, which is fitting timing to bring this up. A flawless defeat in the final, but a second-place finish at a Major that the club has never managed to replicate to this day. Better years were still to come, notably 2018-2019. Despite being the unfortunate runners-up to the second greatest era of dominance in history, Astralis, they were nonetheless crowned with the second Grand Slam in history. To this day, it remains the fastest ever achieved, with 4 titles in just 63 days.
Since then, seven years have flown by. Only two qualifications for Major quarterfinals, but above all, ZERO LAN titles, and even worse, not a single Top 4 finish at a true Tier 1 event on CS2. It is time for the club to face reality. YEKINDAR, cadiaN, siuhy, Twistzz, jks, shox, NertZ, EliGE, NAF, none of these names can make it work. Departures or returns, nothing seems to fix it. The cavalry is wounded and must call upon new squires.
Returning to Europe?
The first solution seems the most obvious, given how dire the future of the North American Counter-Strike scene appears. Talent is drying up, forced to scatter across various teams. However, moving back to Europe carries heavy risks, such as being far from the fans, far from the families of the remaining players from the New World, and facing competition of an unparalleled quality.
read more
Nevertheless, the Old Continent is currently the only place where one can find the largest pool of talent, experienced players, and high quality. Provided, of course, that the club still possesses the financial firepower that made its reputation in the past.
In this scenario, to successfully navigate the transition, benching Keith “NAF” Markovic seems inevitable. Not because he is underperforming, but because he appears more out of sync with the team than anyone else. His glory days are behind him, and a year ago, during the Austin Major, his benching was already being discussed. To replace him at the time, contacts had been made with the French player Ryan “Neityu” Aubry, currently standing in for FaZe. But what about the Europeans in the roster? Are they delivering, starting with siuhy?
Changing the Leader?
Arriving at Team Liquid at the beginning of 2025 following a departure from MOUZ that still leaves a few unanswered questions, the young in-game leading prodigy Kamil “siuhy” Szkaradek has never truly managed to elevate his team. After a breathtaking breakthrough with GamerLegion in 2023, even reaching the Paris Major final, lost to Vitality, it appears he has hit a ceiling or, at the very least, lost part of his recipe for success.
In parallel, another leader has just been pushed out of a massive team, Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski. The North Macedonian also burst onto the scene during the Paris Major with Apeks. Also a victim of Vitality in the semi-finals, he took more time to develop within an “intermediate” project, Heroic. This time allowed him to build a strong ability to adapt to complex roster conditions. These solid performances were rewarded with a spot in Falcons. However, life alongside superstars who perhaps did not grant the required space to a leader without an established career ultimately got the better of him.
Yet, backed by this experience and decent results despite everything, he looks like the perfect compromise today. He knows how to handle young prospects, how to maneuver with experienced players possessing strong egos, and has deep experience with Tier 1, Tier 2, and even Tier 3 playstyles, without being shaped by a single, rigid school, such as MOUZ NXT/MOUZ.
Changing the Sniper?
This is a topic that is rarely, if ever, straightforward, the sniper. Particularly since the transition to CS2, a true shortage of top-tier snipers has plagued the scene. Currently at Team Liquid, trust is still placed in Roland “ultimate” Tomkowiak. While it is hard to heavily criticize the player, it would be a lie to say he belongs to the caliber of snipers who consistently win matches for their team. But how can anyone blame him? He is only 22 years old, having emerged two years ago from an Illuminar team drifting in the depths of Tier 3 in Europe, hovering around the 100th world ranking spot. He ensures a decent level of play, but it is perhaps a bit too limited to bring back the golden standards of a prime jdm64, or an interim s1mple who was anything but average.
read more
What options are left on the table?
degster could be an option. The Russian sniper, replaced at Falcons by m0NESY, left the team while earning his first career MVP. Known as a fierce competitor and an immense worker, the issue likely lies in his ties to his home country, Russia, which currently complicates the freedom of movement necessary for a professional player’s career.
cmtry, the young Ukrainian from FUT, seems like a plausible option. He does not put up astronomical statistics, but he has shown an ability to step up in crucial moments, earning himself, along with his more prominent teammates, an MVP title at PGL Bucharest 2026. However, the biggest question mark remains the credibility of Team Liquid’s offer, which currently seems a far cry from a Turkish club with massive ambitions.
gr1ks is an alternative. The Belarusian experienced a missed breakthrough at Heroic, after acting as molodoy’s long-distance partner in dismantling Tier 3 with Aurora & Astrum. Since his return to competition with BIG, he has greatly helped the German roster find its way back to the Major. With a 1.11 rating over the past three months, he looks like a credible option who is also perfectly comfortable communicating in English.
read more
try represents a solid regional choice. The 21-year-old Argentine already boasts solid experience with four Major appearances and stints in local teams like 9z, continental ones like 00NATION, or international ones like Passion UA. Currently stuck in a roster losing its way through bizarre roster moves, he clearly deserves better. The main appeal of this choice would obviously be to remain in the Americas region, making a Major qualification vastly easier.
nqz could fulfill a similar role. Just like with try, the Brazilian’s profile would allow Liquid to remain in the Americas, which holds significant value. However, the 21-year-old player will not be easy to recruit, as he appears to be the future of Brazilian CS and is bound for a bright future. Boasting a 1.20 rating on LAN in 2026, he is currently benched for personal reasons, which presents perhaps the ideal moment to allow him to bounce back in a fresh environment.
Changing Everything?
A final option must also be considered, a complete overhaul. Today, the VRS system offers two distinct paths. The first is simple, which is to have money, A LOT of money, and buy a core of at least 3 players to secure their points and immediately propel yourself up the rankings with players who already know each other. The second is to accept the crisis, acknowledge the delicate situation, and start from scratch with actual ambition, sacrificing the meager current point capital to rebuild a coherent sporting direction.
read more
Given Team Liquid’s cursed state over the past months and years, it is not absurd to assume that a fresh start, just over 10 years after the club entered the game, could offer a massive boost of motivation and a breath of fresh air to a sporting structure that leaves much to be desired. Examples like PARIVISION, FUT, or The MongolZ prove that with coherence, cohesion, and time, sporting miracles can happen, and better yet, they can be sustained over time.
One thing is certain regarding Team Liquid, they must let go of the hope that names, simply because they are names, will work together. Today, Counter-Strike, much like traditional sports, requires far more than an addition of individual talents to build a strong team. They must accept that, just like G2 or FURIA, dark periods exist, but it is entirely possible to return to the forefront of the scene by refusing to make decisions halfway.
