The European Valorant circuit has been a rollercoaster since the beginning of 2021. Since the game’s first big tournament, First Strike, many of the original pro teams to form in Valorant have been against the ropes, losing to the newer teams with something to prove.
Among those that are struggling is Team Liquid. The predominantly British team has failed to qualify for the Valorant Champions Tour twice now and if its recent form is anything to go off of, a third flop is likely. But why is a team with the legendary Adil “ScreaM” Benrlitom and a slew of British talent failing at every turn?
Lost 2-1 vs @theAllianceGG, Good showing from them, owned us with the Jett OP on icebox and we couldn’t get it running on split.
— Liquid L1NK (@L1NKVAL) February 17, 2021
For many fans, the European Valorant Champions Tour format has been frustrating. From streams not showing certain matches to a best-of-one elimination format, the European Valorant scene has been struggling to satisfy fans.
No team has been more impacted by the tournament’s format than Team Liquid. The team has managed to make it to the round of 16 and quarterfinals of the two first open qualifiers only to be eliminated by opponents at the top of the rankings. In both of those matches, Team Liquid played well and looked like they deserved a spot in the main tournament.
But thanks to the single-elimination format, ScreaM and his teammates were sent home early. While this squad may be held back by the decisions of Riot Games and its tournament organizers, other top teams have overcome the odds and managed to make it to the main event.
We lost 0-2 in a tough way man ????
GG’s @FPX_Esports not our night
— Liquid ScreaM (@ScreaM_) February 7, 2021
The difference between Team Liquid and contemporaries such as G2 Esports and FunPlus Phoenix is that Liquid lacks another carry presence. When the game is on the line, ScreaM is the one who will pick up the slack and get as many frags as possible to win the game. This is not a strategy that can consistently get wins for Team Liquid in comparison to G2 Esports which has a roster of players who can all individually carry the team.Â
The organization may already be addressing this problem, as roster rumors were circling before the Valorant Champions Tour. No moves have been made thus far however, and the team’s results are hurting for that. As the Valorant Champions Tour circuit continues, Scream and his band of British teammates will need to figure out solutions to these problems if they hope to break this streak.
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