Team Liquid has made the decision to bench Aleks “Rainwaker” Petrov, just months after forming a European majority roster, according to a report from Dust2.us. Instead, their coach, Damian “daps” Steele, will step in and play at the upcoming BLAST Fall Showdown. While Rainwaker is not completely cut from the organization, he will not be participating in the event. Liquid is currently experimenting with different player roles, and there is a possibility that Rainwaker may return to the starting roster in the future.
Team Liquid, once the face of North American Counter-Strike, has faced criticism for transitioning to a European-majority roster and moving away from legendary players like Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski and Nick “nitr0” Cannella. Since the roster change, the team has significantly underperformed, failing to make an impact in ESL Pro League Season 18, Gamers8, and the IEM Cologne play-in.
If Liquid ultimately decides to part ways with Rainwaker, they will face limited options in terms of available talent. The North American CS scene has suffered due to tournament organizers and organizations shifting their focus away from the region, as well as the rise of VALORANT, which attracted players with higher salaries. As a result, the region lacks opportunities for growth and development, making it challenging to find suitable replacements. Many teams have already relocated to Europe for practice, following in Liquid’s footsteps.
With an uncertain future and their young European talent failing to meet expectations, Liquid faces an uphill battle to regain their former success. If they are not careful, they may soon be surpassed by Complexity, a North American-majority team, in the HLTV world rankings. Additionally, they risk stagnating in terms of results, which could further alienate their loyal fanbase.
The clock is ticking as the BLAST Fall Showdown is set to begin on October 4th. Liquid will need to quickly regroup and find their footing if they hope to make an impact in the tournament.
Source: DOTESPORTS
