Liquid rebuild well underway as Twistzz settles back into old roles

It may still be too early to call Liquid a top contender for IEM Dallas or the BLAST Austin Major, but Russel "Twistzz" Van Dulken believes the squad is well on it's way back after a tumultuous 2025 campaign.

The arrival of Kamil "siuhy" Szkaradek this month has reignited the Liquid spark, with the squad rebounding from an early exit at PGL Bucharest to make the main stage at IEM Melbourne. They may have been downed by The MongolZ in the quarter-final, but wins over MIBR and NaVi—plus a competitive map against Vitality—has certainly turned heads.

Twistzz caught up with esports.gg in Melbourne to talk the team's hefty practice schedule, siuhy's arrival to Liquid, and how he is settling back into his original roles in Liquid.

Was a bit of a hostile crowd for you guys this time around but we did see you playing up to it, especially with the sick clutch on Inferno. Was it something you guys were expecting coming into the playoffs? 

"Yeah, I think it was something we did expect. For sure, we definitely didn't expect to be crowd favorites in the arena. Although it's my first time being booed in Australia, it's fine. We're professionals. We know how to play with it, we know how to play against it. It's all good."

Talk to me about the series in general. The veto seemed clear on paper up until Inferno, were you happy with preparation for the match?

"The veto was expected, but kind of reversed. I thought their pick was going to be Inferno, but either way, they knew that they would get Ancient or Inferno in the series. The veto was well prepared by both teams and we expected it."

We saw you guys get in a couple of days before the group stage kicked off, and you’ve had a little time between events to prep. Was it enough, you think?

"We had five or six practice days in between Bucharest and Melbourne and yeah, we felt it was enough. Obviously, there's outside-of-the-game things that you can still do to prepare like getting here early and getting used to the environment, the time zone… everyone did their job and was prepared individually for the tournament."

You're three or so weeks and now two events into the siuhy era of Liquid. What is it that he's been picking up really quickly? What is it that he's still coming to terms with in the Liquid system?

"Siuhy has a very strong understanding of the type of players that he has on the team. I think we have really good chemistry in and out of the game, everyone gets along really well, but he knows how to best utilize each of his players. He's a great captain; I think he and I have a really good relationship and everyone looks forward to continuing what we're building"

The growth already has been quite remarkable. From an individual perspective, how has the transition back to your old roles been for you mechanically and mentally? It’s not often we see riflers take up the IGL role, then switch back.

"I think it's fine, everything has been good. I get to work a lot more on my individual side, and it's nice to get to be a specialist in my areas again.

"I’m still doing some mid-round calling, helping in tech pauses, helping with game adjustments. That's what I mean when I say Kamil (siuhy) and I have good synergy, a good relationship, and a lot of mutual trust between each other. I think it's good for the entire team. 

"Mentally, it’s not a massive difference. I feel like I just have a better perspective on the game from the captain stint. When you naturally build this overview for the game and you keep track of what's happening, it's a valuable skill to learn because I can help Kamil micromanage people. I know his plan, I know what he's calling, and I help everyone get on the same page."

Apart from siuhy, you guys have been on the road often this year. How has the busy schedule impacted you guys when it comes to fatigue, and how are you looking building into the major in Austin?

"Everything has been good, actually. I think before picking up Kamil, we did a good job at securing the Legends stage and did a good job at securing more future invites. When he came [to Liquid], there's already a lot for him to look forward to.

"We just have to take back the number one spot in the North America region and I think we're looking good for the rest of the season. Kamil was out of the game for a bit before he joined while the rest of us were on the road and non-stop practicing. 

"We get a nice three to four days off now to enjoy Melbourne and a break but then straight to some much-needed practice for Dallas and Austin."

Liquid may have wrapped up their stint in Australia, but IEM Melbourne continues on, with the grand final between Vitality and Falcons kicking off at 4:30pm AEST later today.

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