Admir M. February 13, 2019
German Dota 2 player Roman "rmN-" Paley has been announced as the new coach of Team Liquid.
rmN is a known name in the competitive Dota 2 scene, where he left his biggest mark representing such teams as PENTA eSports, Natus Vincere and Elements Pro Gaming. The German pro plays the support position, and is well-known for his excellent play on Io.
rmN does have some history with the former International champions. rmN attended the first edition of The International in 2011 with GosuGamers, playing alongside Team Liquid’s current team captain Kuro “KuroKy” Salehi Takohasomi.
rmN’s stint with Team Liquid started at the MegaFon Winter Clash as a replacement for long-time coach Lee “Heen” Sung Gon. Liquid’s performance at the event was dominating as they managed to win the tournament without dropping a single game.
After the remarkable form Liquid showed at MegaFon, rmN was brought to the team on a trial basis. Team Liquid’s next tournament, the Chongqing Major, saw Liquid return to the inconsistent form that haunted them through much of the 2018 season. This was in part attributable to the absence of star mid laner Amer “Miracle-” Al-Barkawi.
Despite competing with substitute Chinese player Chu "shadow" Zeyu, Team Liquid managed to dominate the major’s group stage. Liquid’s fortunes quickly turned as they were knocked out of the upper bracket by Team Secret and eventually eliminated from the lower bracket by Fnatic.
This will be rmN’s first spell as a coach in the competitive scene. Despite his inexperience in the role, his background as a former team captain coupled with his years of in-game knowledge could be a significant boon to a Team Liquid squad that has struggled to return to its peak form.