“We are still yet to fully go in-depth in practice with EliGE” — Team Liquid IGL siuhy reflects on Bucharest exit and the road ahead

“We are still yet to fully go in-depth in practice with EliGE” — Team Liquid IGL siuhy reflects on Bucharest exit and the road ahead

The Polish in-game leader of Team Liquid, Kamil “siuhy” Szkaradek, candidly addressed the team’s underwhelming outing at PGL Masters Bucharest 2025, stating that the roster is still in the process of integrating Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski — a transition he says has yet to fully be worked through. 

Tournament recap and key turning moments

Liquid reached the knockout stage of Bucharest with a 3–1 record in the Swiss pool, but their campaign ended in the playoffs after a 1–2 defeat to SAW, a match that exposed deeper issues beyond the surface. 

While the first map (Ancient) showed promise — the team looked cohesive, determined, and in control — the following two maps (Train and Inferno) saw a complete collapse. According to siuhy:

“It’s no lie that we are still yet to fully go in-depth in practice with EliGE, so it’s going to show on some maps… we just got completely destroyed — that happened today on Train.” 

As he explained, the crux of the problem lies not in firepower or raw skill, but in practice, cohesion, and comfort within the new structure.

Integration of EliGE: progress and setbacks

EliGE joined Liquid recently — replacing Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken — and while his individual pedigree is unquestioned, the adjustment period has been shorter than ideal. Siuhy stressed:

“We’ve been going from tournament to tournament with only a couple of days of practice with EliGE. He’s also yet to fully and comfortably get into our system, and also tell us about how he views things, and how he likes certain things.” 

This rushing between events has compromised depth in scrims and strategic installation. For maps where Liquid have struggled historically (such as Train) the lack of time to work together in full game-sessions became evident. The tournament’s Swiss format offers no cushion for growing pains.

Map-pool cracks and season implications

Beyond personnel integration, Liquid’s map pool emerged as a glaring weak spot. There were quotes from siuhy acknowledging:

“We are still lacking a little bit of a meta touch to our playbook throughout certain maps … building all of the maps to a certain level where we will feel comfortable in the vetoes … that is going to be our main focus.” 

Even with the supporting cast of NAF, NertZ, ultimate, and flashie around EliGE and siuhy, the team appeared unstable when transitioning between T-side decision-making, mid-round calls, and late-round conditions. The structural issues were amplified under the high pressure of elimination matches.

Reflection and path to the Major

Liquid next head into the StarLadder Budapest Major — a marquee event that now looms large as the next opportunity for redemption. Siuhy mapped out the team’s plan:

“After this tournament, we’re going to have a few days break… we’re going to use the time for EliGE to get into our system and work on our map pool, because as we could see during this tournament, it was not the greatest.” 

He emphasised a clear focus on consistency: ironing out maps they are uncomfortable on, installing more robust mid-round structures, and aligning the team’s meta blueprint across vetoes and deciders.

Context in the current scene

The timing could not be worse: the Major cycle rewards depth, stability, and map-pool versatility. Teams that have quickly installed top tier capability already this season (e.g., SAW, Legacy, Aurora) are building momentum. Liquid’s stumble in Bucharest compounds the urgency to solidify their identity. The fact that they fell to SAW — a team perceived as underdogs — highlights how even premium rosters are vulnerable when structural preparation isn’t fully in place.

As siuhy put it:

“There are some maps that we feel really confident on, there are some maps that we had to put aside for now, so we’re going to have to catch up with the playbook on those maps.” 

Final takeaway

Liquid’s Bucharest exit is less a question of firepower and more a symptom of systemic under-preparation. The team has elite tools — but raw tools do not win events without cohesion, synergy, and map-pool maturity. The weeks ahead are critical: if EliGE’s ideas are properly installed, Liquid can recapture their top-four trajectory; if not, this Bucharest result may become a season-defining stumble.

For fans, analysts and stakeholders, the key takeaway is straightforward: Liquid remain a top-tier brand but they are walking a fine line. The strength of their core will now be tested not just in skill battles, but in structural maturity and endurance. The journey from “capable” to “dominant” lies in those details — and siuhy knows they’re behind schedule.

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If you’d like a statistical breakdown (ADR spreads, clutch round conversion rates, mid-round call success) for Liquid’s Bucharest games — I can pull that up as well.