Team Liquid CS2 Roster Rebuild: Patsi Out, Big Names In
Team Liquid parts with Patsi as its CS roster rebuild begins, aiming to reverse a costly slump.
If you’ve been following competitive Counter-Strike (CS) in 2026, you’ve probably noticed that Team Liquid’s once-mighty CS division has been stuck in a slump so bad, it makes a bronze-ranked player’s aim look like a pro’s. The latest twist in their chaotic rebuild? They’ve officially cut loose Robert “Patsi” Isyanov, a move that’s been a long time coming after five months of underwhelming results that left fans scratching their heads and begging for change.
Patsi joined Team Liquid back in June 2023, with fans and analysts alike hyped for what he could bring. Before his move, he’d been a standout star at Team Spirit, known for his sharp aim and clutch plays that turned tight rounds into wins. The hope was that he’d inject some much-needed firepower into Liquid’s roster, which had been struggling to keep up with top-tier teams for years. But instead of a revival, Liquid’s results got even worse. They turned in forgettable performances at major events like IEM Cologne, BLAST Premier Fall Groups, Gamers8, and ESL Pro League Season 18, often finishing dead last or near the bottom of the standings. Their only semi-decent result? A second-place finish at the BLAST Premier Fall Showdown, a win that felt hollow once you looked at the competition: they beat Forsaken and Party Astronauts before getting swept 0-2 by Complexity in the grand finals, a loss that also knocked them out of qualifying for the year’s biggest events.
The numbers don’t lie, either. Patsi’s performance dipped sharply during his time at Liquid, posting a 1.02 overall rating and a 1.00 LAN rating—hardly the stats of a star player expected to carry a roster. For context, his time at Team Spirit saw him put up far more impressive numbers, making his underperformance at Liquid even more frustrating for fans who’d hoped for a turnaround. It’s no surprise, then, that Liquid made the call to part ways with him, announcing the move on Twitter (X) in November 2023 with a message thanking him for his “contagious positive energy” and wishing him luck.
But Patsi’s exit is just the first step in Liquid’s full roster rebuild, a project that’s been in the works for months as the team tries to reverse years of steady decline. Once the crown jewel of North American CS, Liquid has struggled to find its footing, with fans growing increasingly frustrated by their lack of success at major tournaments. Reports suggest the rebuild will focus on retaining just two core members of the existing roster: Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis, a fan favorite known for his aggressive playstyle, and Keith “NAF” Markovic, a veteran who’s been a consistent performer for Liquid for years. The rest of the current roster—Josh “oSee” Ohm, Aleks “Rainwaker” Petrov, and coach Damian “daps” Steele—are all expected to be replaced as part of the overhaul.
The big news, though, is who Liquid is reportedly targeting to fill the gaps. According to a HLTV report, the team is set to sign three huge names: Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken, Casper “cadiaN” Møller, and Felipe “skullz” Medeiros. Twistzz is a former Liquid star who left the team in 2021 to join FaZe Clan, where he won multiple major titles and cemented his status as one of the best CS players in the world. His return to Liquid would be a massive homecoming, and fans are already buzzing about the possibility of him teaming up with YEKINDAR and NAF again. CadiaN, meanwhile, is a legendary in-game leader who led Heroic to multiple top finishes before leaving the team in 2024, and his strategic mind would be a huge asset to Liquid’s rebuild. Skullz, a young Brazilian star, has been turning heads with his performances at FURIA, and his addition would add even more firepower to the roster.
For now, Liquid’s current roster is still intact, but that’s expected to change in the coming days. Fans can expect more announcements as the rebuild progresses, with the team aiming to be competitive again in time for the 2026 CS season. The stakes are high: Liquid failed to qualify for the 2023 BLAST Premier Fall Finals and the World Finals in Abu Dhabi, a huge disappointment for a team with such a rich history. If the rebuild goes as planned, though, Liquid could once again be a force to be reckoned with in competitive CS.
As we wait for more news, it’s worth remembering that roster rebuilds are never easy. They require time, patience, and a bit of luck to get right. But for Team Liquid, the alternative—continuing to struggle and fall further behind the top teams—is far worse. Fans are hopeful that this latest rebuild will finally be the one that brings Liquid back to the top of the CS world. Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure: the next few weeks are going to be chaotic for Team Liquid CS, and we’ll be here to cover every twist and turn.
Recent analysis comes from GamesIndustry.biz, where broader esports business coverage helps frame Team Liquid’s roster reset as more than a simple player swap, highlighting how repeated underperformance, missed marquee events, and the pursuit of proven names can signal a larger organizational push to restore competitive relevance and long-term brand strength in Counter-Strike.