“Why it failed: The Superteam that never was” – Liquid take CS2 video private

Team Liquid is the talk of the town right now. The team is in a precarious scenario with three major roster changes already lined up. What should have been a superteam has turned into yet another overambitious flop. And Liquid seems to agree in a now private CS2 video.

Yesterday, Team Liquid uploaded a video to YouTube titled "Why it Failed: the super-team that never was". On the surface, the video looked like another vlog in the vein of "1100 Days: The Rise and Fall of Team Liquid". That vlog had followed a similarly disastrous roster featuring Stewie2k and Fallen. This time, however, the video was soon taken private on the channel and hasn't returned since.

There could be many reasons behind this decision. It could be as simple as further edits that need to be made to the video. If you want to put on your tinfoil hats, it could be that Liquid shared something they weren't meant to and wanted to put the genie back into the bottle. The title alone made the video an incredibly exciting piece of content. The subsequent removal meant we had to give it a thorough look-through.

Right off the bat, the video drops the hammer. Casper "cadiaN" Møller is asked if he regrets joining Team Liquid. The clip is clearly recorded prior to the team's failure to make the Copenhagen Major. The IGL mentions that the team may not make it to the event. But given how events have unfolded since, the clip takes on a whole different view. He is the IGL who had his reputation on the line with Liquid. And with the team's failure, he's fallen on his sword.

Throughout the video, all members of the team are incredibly open with their views. This is something we don't often see in a sport. Corporate speak takes over the moment a camera turns on. There are still some segments that look to be in response to community speculation. An example is the repeated praise for the team's retreat. The interviews are nonetheless a breath of fresh air. But still, they can't deny the fact that Team Liquid's season has been abysmal.

The big turning point for Liquid, according to the private video, came after the RMR for the Copenhagen CS2 major. Wilton "zews" Prado, the former coach of TL, highlights that he was confident in the team for the RMR, but that confidence was, in his own words, superficial. You look at the list of names on that list, and you have to feel that this team can make it through.

But it didn't pan out. TL took disastrous losses to Complexity and Furia and bombed out of the event. If you're going to compete at the Major stage, you have to beat this level of opposition. And the Danish IGL concurred in the video.

Hard conversations and introspection followed the RMR, and the team had a great result at IEM Chengdu. But the lows continued as they failed to qualify for the Esports World Cup. High highs and low lows imply a lack of tactical system and team structure, and that became the developmental goal for zews.

In the midst of these very real and heavy interviews, Liquid couldn't help but throw in a small joke. Falcons' now infamous clip from their own RMR vlog, where the team was quite harsh in their criticism of Mohammad "BOROS" Malhas.

Liquid did their own spin on it in the now private video, with Skullz taking the place of the Jordanian. With YEKINDAR adding to the fun too, the clip added a quick respite, that also showed some of the team's growing bond.

The closing remarks from the various members of the team were perhaps the most telling. Where zews takes a positive view on the team's efforts, cadiaN accepts that it is simply not enough. Meanwhile, the two stalwarts of Liquid and of NACS as a whole, Keith "NAF" Markovic and Russel "Twistzz" Van Dulken, had a different take.

NAF, who has stuck with TL through thick and thin, grows frustrated. The team's last trophy came in 2019, with the legendary Grand Slam roster. That's not for a lack of trying. The Canuck himself agrees that he's played with many great players over the four years. But if this is how his career will fizzle out, it will sure be a shame for what should have been a legendary name.

Team Liquid's potential future IGL, Twistzz, took perhaps the harshest but most realistic view of the project. When asked if the team could become a title contender, he was blunt in saying that based on what they've shown, it's not realistic.

The departing IGL, cadiaN, is used to being a hero. While that may be the flaw in his character too, it gives us some incredible rallying speeches. And even in his departure, he leaves behind a powerful message.

So where does that leave Liquid? The ending of the private video on the Liquid CS2 YT channel had a montage. That montage showed screenshots of the articles covering news of cadiaN, zews, and skullz's removal from the roster. Notably, skullz's move to Furia has not been officially announced, but with its inclusion in the video, it seems all but confirmed.

Will Liquid finally be able to move to greener pastures? Others, like G2, look on the path to salvation. But with yet another rookie IGL, can NAF's years of 'misery' come to an end?

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