A New Look for Liquid: Team Liquid to sign “nAts” and “Redgar” alongside Guild star “Sayf.”
Out of the Old, In with the New
Despite making playoffs during Champions 2022 with captain Adil “ScreaM” Benrlitom at the helm, Team Liquid is reported to be changing up their roster. The current roster, barely two months old with new fifth player Dmitriy “dimasick” Matvienko joining on the 5th of August, will reportedly see at least 3 new players playing under the prestigious esports banner by the start of the new season.
The team managed to place 7th-8th at Champions, eventually falling to domestic rivals Fnatic, who trounced them across a quick 2 map series that highlighted the inexperience of the new roster. Jake "Boaster" Howlett, In-Game Leader (IGL) of Fnatic, especially, was a key piece to their success, answering Liquid’s strategies with devasting replies.
Reports have indicated that captain Adil “ScreaM” Benrlitom as well as his brother, Nabil “Nivera” Benrlitom, will not be re-signing with Team Liquid, instead joining newcomer French organization Karmine Corp. “ScreaM” and “Nivera” were key pieces of the original Liquid roster and with their departure, going forward, the organization will have to determine their legacy, whether it be success or failure, without the duo stars.
Newcomer Dmitriy “dimasick” Matvienko will also see his swift exit from the roster as the rebuild commences. Reputable source George Geddes has confirmed in an article that the Kazakh player is currently exploring his options as well.
Building a Winning Roster
Meanwhile, Masters winners and former players of M3C/Gambit: Ayaz “nAts” Akhmetshin and Igor “Redgar” Vlasov have reportedly been picked up by Liquid alongside former Guild star player Saif “Sayf” Jibraeel.
The former M3C/Gambit players have faced a turbulent end to their 2022, with the ongoing crisis in Ukraine forcing the players from their home organization, Gambit, amidst the controversy of associating with a Russian-based organization at this time.
Despite everything, there has never been a question of the skill on the roster since their full debut in 2021 with at the time, new addition Igor “Redgar” Vlasov. Having won Masters Berlin in 2021, the roster would only narrowly lose to Acend in the grand finals in a Bo5 fashion that went the distance.
Upon announcing free agency in early August, Ayaz “nAts” Akhmetshin instantly became one of the most sought-after players in anticipation for VCT 2023. Securing his signing ahead of the season along with the release of “ScreaM”, Liquid’s most tenured player on their Valorant roster at that point, points to the organization’s renewed determination of building a winning roster.
The Russian player has steadily garnered a reputation for himself as a playmaker with a unique style involving timings and lurks. Playing his signature agents Cypher and Viper, Ayaz has managed to lead his team to impressive accolades throughout 2021.
Saif “Sayf” Jibraeel, former star of Guild Esports also announced his free agency late last month, coming off the heels of a lower bracket loss to OG London United in the EMEA Last Chance Qualifier. The Swedish superstar shined with an average KD of 1.87 on Jett and 1.41 on Chamber, being one of the more promising talents to come out of Sweden in the last few years.
As of now, the Team Liquid roster looks as follows:
- Ayaz “nAts” Akhmetshin
- Igor “Redgar” Vlasov
- Saif “Sayf” Jibraeel
- Elias “Jamppi” Olkkonen
- Dom “soulcas” Sulcas
Photo credits: Riot Games