Liquid Sign Jorko: Team Liquid Replace ultimate With 17-Year-Old Bulgarian AWPer

10.07.2026 - 19:54

Liquid Sign Jorko: Team Liquid Replace ultimate With 17-Year-Old Bulgarian AWPer

Team Liquid have officially announced the signing of Georgi "Jorko" Mitev, completing one of the organization's biggest roster moves of the 2026 season. The 17-year-old Bulgarian AWPer joins from FOKUS and replaces Roland "ultimate" Tomkowiak, who was moved to the bench earlier the same day.

The transfer continues Liquid's strategy of investing in young talent while attempting to rebuild after a disappointing first half of the year.

Quick Summary

Item	Details
Team	Liquid
Player In	Georgi "Jorko" Mitev
Player Out	Roland "ultimate" Tomkowiak (benched)
Player Age	17
Previous Team	FOKUS
Primary Role	AWPer
Status	Official
Announcement Date	July 9, 2026

Liquid officially sign Jorko

Liquid confirmed the acquisition of Jorko shortly after announcing that ultimate had been moved to the bench.

The signing represents another long-term investment rather than an experienced veteran pickup.

Jorko arrives after approximately five months with FOKUS, where he posted a 1.07 HLTV rating, helped the team win Urban Riga Open Season 3, and narrowly missed the playoffs at PGL Bucharest. Before FOKUS, the Bulgarian prospect developed through MOUZ NXT and CPH Wolves, steadily building a reputation as one of Europe's most promising young AWPers.

Liquid's decision follows months of inconsistent results and continued struggles surrounding the AWP position.

Updated Team Liquid roster

Player	Role*
Keith "NAF" Markovic	Rifler
Jonathan "EliGE" Jablonowski	Rifler
Mario "malbsMd" Samayoa	Rifler
Kamil "siuhy" Szkaradek	IGL
Georgi "Jorko" Mitev	AWPer
Viktor "flashie" Tamás Bea	Coach

*Roles are based on publicly established positions.

Who is Jorko?

Despite being only 17 years old, Jorko has become one of the fastest-rising prospects in European Counter-Strike.

His development path includes:

Quixal
MOUZ NXT
CPH Wolves
FOKUS
Liquid

During his time with FOKUS, he gained valuable international experience while establishing himself as one of HLTV's highest-ranked prospects. He was featured at No. 28 in the July 2026 HLTV Prospects ranking before completing the move to Liquid.

Background: Why Liquid made the change

The roster move comes after a difficult season for Liquid.

Throughout 2026, the team experienced:

multiple early tournament exits;
disappointing Tier-2 LAN performances;
declining Valve Regional Standings (VRS) position;
elimination from the IEM Cologne Major Stage 1 with a 2-3 record.

The AWP role had remained one of Liquid's biggest question marks since ultimate joined the team in 2024.

While ultimate produced several standout performances during his tenure, he never established the level of consistency required for Liquid's long-term ambitions. Those struggles ultimately led to the organization's decision to explore another young prospect rather than pursue an established veteran.

Tactical impact

Although Liquid have not outlined how Jorko will fit tactically, several expectations can be made based on his known role.

Expected changes

A dedicated primary AWPer returns to the lineup.
Liquid continue building around younger talent.
siuhy gains another player capable of developing within his long-term system.

Whether Jorko can immediately translate his Tier-2 success into Tier-1 competition remains one of the biggest questions surrounding Liquid heading into the second half of the season.

Why this move matters

This signing extends a broader trend inside Team Liquid.

Rather than rebuilding around established stars, the organization continues betting on high-ceiling prospects.

Interestingly, Jorko's arrival mirrors ultimate's own signing in 2024, when Liquid also recruited a relatively inexperienced AWPer with limited Tier-1 exposure.

This suggests Liquid still believes internal player development offers a higher long-term ceiling than short-term veteran acquisitions.

Timeline

Date	Event
July 9, 2026	Liquid bench ultimate
July 9, 2026	Liquid officially announce Jorko
July 2026	Jorko joins active roster immediately

Key Details

Category	Information
Organization	Liquid
Signing	Georgi "Jorko" Mitev
Previous Team	FOKUS
Replaced Player	ultimate
Role	AWPer
Nationality	Bulgaria
Age	17
Transfer Status	Official

Impact analysis

Short-term

New AWPer enters with limited Tier-1 experience.
Team chemistry will require time to develop.
Expectations should remain measured during the adjustment period.

Long-term

If Jorko develops successfully, Liquid could solve one of their longest-running roster issues while securing a young player with considerable room for growth.

The signing also aligns with the organization's preference for investing in future talent rather than pursuing expensive veteran transfers.

What changes now?

Immediately following the announcement:

Jorko becomes Liquid's starting AWPer.
ultimate moves to the inactive bench.
Liquid begin preparing for upcoming competition with a new five-man lineup.

Separately, HLTV has also reported that Liquid are targeting JT as a potential new in-game leader, although that move has not been officially confirmed by the organization.