Twistzz announces departure from Team Liquid after IEM loss
Team Liquid rifler Russel “Twistzz” van Dulken announced that he has played his last game with Liquid after the team’s loss to Astralis at the IEM Global Challenge.
In an interview after Team Liquid’s loss to Astralis at 2020’s last Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament, twistzz shared that the grand final was his final game with Liquid. As the interview ended, Twistzz asked for another moment to make an announcement to Liquid fans before revealing that he would leave TL and stay in Europe for the foreseeable future. Twistzz was the driving force behind Liquid’s successes against Astralis after a relatively quiet tournament.
Twistzz said that he plans on staying in Europe and joining another “family-like team.”
Twistzz to leave Liquid after 4 years
Twistzz joined Team Liquid in 2014 after sharpening his skills with Misfits. Liquid, looking for a young prospect to add to its lineup, picked up Twistzz. While he struggled to adjust to top-tier CSGO early on in his career with Liquid, Twistzz turned into one of CSGO’s biggest names as he came under the tutelage of Liquid’s veterans. The rifler was part of the Liquid roster that won the Intel Grand Slam and its $1,000,000 grand prize in a record-breaking 63 days.
There has been no official announcement from Team Liquid regarding Twistzz departure, but Twistzz’s comments made it clear that the decision for him to leave was discussed with the organization and his teammates. The loss of Twistzz will hurt Liquid moving into 2021 where CSGO is expected to return to a LAN environment, but the recent addition of Michael “grim” Wince may have the organization looking to pick up another young talent.
It is unclear whether Twistzz is a free agent or if he will be on Liquid’s bench until the organization agrees to a transfer. There are few players who can match his pure skill, so expect him to remain active in CSGO for the foreseeable future.
M Alzamora
About M Alzamora
There are few things that writer M Alzamora loves more in life than Pokemon. And there are even fewer things that she loves more than her favorite Pokemon, Eevee. But M’s appreciation for gaming isn’t just limited to Nintendo’s famous pocket monsters. She’s interested in every type of game across every genre of gaming, and she has the credentials to prove it. M’s work has also been seen on Working Classicists and gaming sites.
View full profile
Read Also
Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Major 2026 CS2 Stage 3 Pick’Em Predictions
Owen Harsono
It’s that time of the year again, as the next Counter-Strike 2 Major is right around the corner. The IEM Cologne 2026 Major is set to start on June 2, meaning you still have some time to lock in your Pick’Em predictions. The Pick’Em Challenge is one of the most exciting parts of the CS2 Majors, as it allows you to test your knowledge and predict which teams make it ...
Counter-Strike
Team Spirit concede just 10 rounds in Stage 2 of the IEM Cologne Major
Owen Harsono
It was pretty weird seeing Team Spirit having to start the IEM Cologne Major from Stage 2, but they quickly proved why that was a mistake. With donk shooting on all fronts, the Eastern Europeans speed ran the competition to book their spot in Stage 3. With how they’ve been playing, it’s hard not to wonder whether they can actually win the entire thing. These boys can sometimes be known ...
Counter-Strike
BIG pull off 0-12 comeback to stay alive – IEM Cologne Major Stage 1 recap
Owen Harsono
We’ve just witnessed arguably the worst choke in Counter-Strike Major history, and we’re only on the first stage of the IEM Cologne Major. If you didn’t tune into the Stage 1 matches, here’s what you need to know heading into Stage 2. Many fans tend to underestimate Stage 1 teams for fair reasons, but some survivors in this tournament look extremely promising. Two Eastern European teams, BetBoom Team and B8, ...
Counter-Strike
Who will win the IEM Cologne Major 2026?
Owen Harsono
If you’re looking to play it safe and back one team at the Counter-Strike 2 IEM Cologne 2026 Major, traders prediction markets platforms have a clear frontrunner – it’s Team Vitality. But if it’s not meant to be, there are a few other candidates that could lift the trophy. Here’s what traders on Polymarket and Kalshi think. If you haven’t been watching CS2 this year and are only jumping on ...
Counter-Strike
The 10 best CS2 players who have never won a Major
Owen Harsono
In Counter-Strike, winning a Major immediately puts you into legend status. It’s an achievement that proves you won the game’s biggest trophy. However, there have been some really good players that could never get their hands on the biggest trophy that Counter-Strike esports has to offer. Here is WIN.gg's list of best CS2 players who have never won a Major. ScreaM is one of Counter-Strike's most famous players for one ...
Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Major 2026: All the teams, favorites, and outright betting odds
Owen Harsono
Mark your calendars, as the IEM Cologne Major kicks off on June 2, 2026. We’re going to see the best teams in the world compete, but which ones are actually favored to take the title? This will be the first time in 10 years that IEM Cologne will return as a Counter-Strike Major, so the stakes this year are much higher than they’ve been in a decade. In this guide, ...
Esports Betting
All IEM Cologne winners and rosters in Counter-Strike history
Owen Harsono
IEM Cologne is one of Counter-Strike’s biggest events, happening every single year. Some seasons, the event is labeled as one of Valve’s two Counter-Strike Majors of the year, but if not, still stands as one of the big events every player chases to win. With the IEM Cologne 2026 Major right around the corner, let’s take a trip down memory lane and check out every single winner of the tournament, ...
