Team Liquid might not be the organisation that won North America’s only CS:GO Major, but they are the region's most successful organisation.
Not only that, but Major glory has many times been within their reach, a feat no other organisation in North America can say they have even come close to.
With the final Major of CS:GO quickly approaching, Liquid has one last opportunity to right the wrongs of the past.
"No clear favourite"
Photo: Michal KonkolWhether it’s the semi-final choke against Luminosity, the final loss against SK, or the loss of steam following a player break ahead of Starladder Berlin in 2019, perhaps no organisation without a Major trophy has come closer to one than Liquid, and with the Counter-Strike field more competitive than ever, the BLAST.tv Paris Major could be Liquid’s time to win Major gold, finally.
“I do think since there’s no clear favourite in the game right now, it makes it way more competitive. When there’s a team that is winning everything, every team understands they are being watched and copied, ultimately defying the meta. But if you look at how the current state of CS:GO is, every team has their unique style, which really makes the game interesting to watch and study. I think the current state of the game is the most interesting it has ever been with each team having super unique playstyles.” Captain America himself, nitr0 told BLAST.tv.
“It would mean the world to win a major in the game we love so much. CS:GO has been our home game for the last 10 years or so, and it would be even more special to take home the last Major tournament in the game we love,” he added.
"Distraught knowing we haven’t won at least one tournament"
Photo: Michal KonkolAlongside EliGE, nitr0 has been part of each of these deep Major runs for Team Liquid. Together, the duo know more than most what it’s like to come so close yet be so far, and although later years would see them take home many trophies, the Major has still eluded them.
It’s that hunger that is key if they are to be successful in Paris, and given the fact they have finished as runners-up to tournaments multiple times in the past year, that hunger is present just as much now as it has ever been
“I am happy with the results we got last year, but am distraught knowing we haven’t won at least one tournament. As competitors, it’s really hard to take in the fact we haven’t won one in the last few years. It’s the reason we compete, wake up everyday to practice, and sacrifice our personal lives. So winning a trophy together would make it all the more important,” nitr0 said.
The biggest leap Liquid took last year was the signing of former Virtus.pro player, YEKINDAR.
An aggressive rifler, the Latvian added another element of star power and impact to Liquid’s game that had been vitally missing. Providing the same level of turn-a-round-upside-down aggression that a player like stewie2k would have during their Intel Grand Slam run, YEKINDAR’s arrival saw a sharp upturn in the team’s fortunes.
"It’s a lot of trial and error, trying new spots, new roles"
Photo: Michal KonkolThat’s not to say, however, that Liquid aren’t still figuring out the best way to utilise their import star. Also, naturally aggressive riflers, both EliGE and nitr0, have to make a way in certain ways for the three of them to all be comfortable.
Even NAF, the passive star that has become so relied upon in late rounds, has had to become more supportive to set up his newest teammate to shine.
A puzzle that will be ever-changing and adapting with the meta, figuring out the best way to utilise their five players on the server is something Liquid will always need to strive to do to win gold once more.
“We know what we have to do, but sometimes even that is not enough. It’s a lot of trial and error, trying new spots, new roles, all these new things and sometimes it is still not enough. We understand that it takes time because all these players are competing for the same stuff as us, so we have to try and work harder than the team next to us, and that’s our goal.” nitr0 told BLAST.tv.
He added: “I think the skill floor has risen so much that it makes each team around the same level, individually. There’s maybe a few exceptions of players that really stand out in terms of individual skill. Each team has the same strats, give or take, and it makes it so whichever team does the strategy correctly, has the higher percentage chance of winning the round. The current state of the game is whoever makes the least amount of micro mistakes, usually wins the game.”
Wants to be "top-3 team" when CS2 releases
Photo: Michal KonkolOf course, winning the Major is not the only thing on most CS:GO pros minds at the moment.
Unavoidably so, Counter-Strike right now is as uncertain as it has ever been. With the release of Counter-Strike 2 right around the corner, the arrival of that game could have drastic impacts on the pro scene.
“We would ideally like to be a top 3 team in the world once CS2 is fully released. I do feel we are one of the teams that theorycrafts a lot and we are really good at getting our ideas onto paper and executing them in the game. With CS2 coming out, the sky's the ceiling for a team like us, and I think it will give us a buff once it gets released.” nitr0 said.
Being a top three team in the world in this era is hard, especially being a top three team and staying there.
But if Liquid were to finally win a Major in Paris, we don’t think there are many people that would try to say they weren’t leaving CS:GO behind as a top-three team and one of the greatest cores in all of the game’s history.