Team Liquid Dota 2 roster leave to start their own organization

gabhernandez Published 13/09/2019

Team Liquid is now without a Dota 2 roster.

According to a statement from the organization, the Kuro Salehi “KuroKy” Takhasomi-led team is set to split off and will look to start their own esports brand. This marks the end of the squad’s time with Liquid, which dates back to 2015.

During almost that entire stretch, Liquid has been regarded as an elite Dota 2 team. Since 2016, the team has ranked among the favorites for every event they’ve attended. Their first-place finish at The International 2017 stands as the high point for the team, and goes down as one of the most dominant displays of competitive Dota 2.

The team leaves on a high note as well, departing after a second-place finish at The International 2019. They were defeated in the grand finals by OG.

Now, with countless triumphs and an International title to their names, KuroKy and his squad will be going their separate ways from the organization they’ve worked with for so long.

Team Liquid released video statements from both the team’s CEO Victor “Nazgul” Goossens and Kuroky. Nazgul suggests that the team, which also consists of Maroun “GH” Merhej, Ivan “MinD_ContRoL” Borislavov, Amer “Miracle-” Al-Barkawi, and Aliwi “w33” Omar, will be staying together.

“While parting with friends is always a sadness, I am genuinely happy our players and the new adventure they are about to take. It isn’t every day that world class players take the leap to become team owners,” Goossens said in a statement. “They deserve this more than anyone, and I am glad that we were able to share the road to greatness together. It is my hope that during their time on Team Liquid, that we have helped prepare them for the path they are embarking on.”

KuroKy thanked both fans and the organization for their support, and announced that his project is still in its early phase.

In the announcement, Nazgul also mentioned that Team Liquid will be looking to acquire another Dota 2 roster for the 2019-20 DPC Season. It is unclear what their approach will be. They have a long history in both North America and Europe and there will be no shortage of formidable players and sponsorless teams from both regions for Liquid to choose from.

Read Also

Dota 2

BLAST SLAM VIII Finals predictions and preview Michael Hassall It’s been a long road, but after a strangely-formatted group stage, and a decidedly anticlimactic playoffs, we’re down to the final three teams in BLAST SLAM VIII. The finals are today (Oct. 11) and we’ll see the premier teams in Dota 2 clash. Perhaps disappointingly, we’re not seeing a new wave of top-teams at the pinnacle of Dota 2 competition, with the three final teams being the same trio we’ve ...

Dota 2

Who will prevail?: BLAST SLAM VIII Playoffs preview, predictions, and more Michael Hassall After a week of intense Group Stage, Last Chance and Seeding stage matches, and a few days of rest, BLAST SLAM VIII returns tomorrow (Oct. 8) with the Playoffs. If we’re honest, there haven’t been too many surprises. We’d liked to have seen a BetBoom or Team Liquid make the cut, but ultimately these aren’t the teams of earlier in the year, and with new rosters comes new uncertainty. That's ...

Dota 2

Dota 2’s new Tidehunter Arcana is mind-blowing, but prepare to spend $200+ to get it Michael Hassall Night owls in North America and early risers in Europe woke up to a brand new Dota 2 Arcana, the first new release of Dota’s rarest and most-coveted cosmetics since 2024. The recipient? Tidehunter, whose Maw of the Megladon Arcana transforms the already selachian sea-dweller into a full-blown shark. But while Arcana’s have traditionally been part of big events in Dota 2, either the now-discontinued Battle Passes, or most recently, ...

Dota 2

Yandex to repeat?: BLAST SLAM VIII preview, predictions, and more Michael Hassall If you can believe it, we’re already on the eighth edition of BLAST SLAM, as BLAST SLAM VIII kicks off tomorrow (Sep. 29) pitting 16 of the world’s best Dota 2 teams against each other in what promises to be the first big challenge of this young season. Let’s face it: At PGL Wallachia, we were missing a lot of the heavy hitters. No TI15 champs, no PARIVISION, not BetBoom, ...

Dota 2

Unstoppable Yandex crush NAVI in one-sided PGL Wallachia finals Michael Hassall Team Yandex has swept the grand finals of the PGL Wallachia Season 9 Dota 2 tournament, defeating Natus Vincere (NAVI) in a 3-0 drubbing this past weekend (Sep. 27). As predicted, the revitalized Yandex, hot off the signing of former Team Falcons star Ammar "ATF" Al-Assaf, crushed their youthful opponents in a three-game sweep in the best-of-five finals. Here’s how it happened: After upsetting the star-studded LGD Gaming roster (albeit ...

Dota 2

Team Yandex to win it all? PGL Wallachia Season 9 Finals preview and predictions Michael Hassall The first big event after TI15, PGL Wallachia Season 9, wraps up this Sunday, Sep. 27, and it’s set to be a hell of a show. After a solid week of action, with some surprise eliminations along the way, we’re down to just three teams from the original 16. Team Yandex, LGD Gaming, and Natus Vincere (NAVI) remain, having battled through some big upsets to get there. Yandex are hot ...

Dota 2

MidOne to Play for Team Liquid at BLAST Slam 8, Replacing Nisha: Permanent or Stand-in? Owen Harsono Like most other Dota 2 teams, Team Liquid have also undergone roster changes after The International 2026, replacing Ace for Wisper. However, a swap in offlaners wasn’t the end, as veteran mid-laner MidOne has been registered under the team ahead of BLAST Slam 8, taking Nisha’s spot. Is MidOne only acting as a stand-in, or is this going to be a permanent move? Here’s what we know. On September 25, ...