Team Liquid has just decided to part ways with Lasse “MATUMBAMAN” Urpalainen just days before the EPICENTER Major kicks off.
Team Liquid has been one of the most formidable forces in Dota 2 for the past two years. This lineup has remained unchanged since January 2017 when the organization recruited Maroun “GH” Merhej. GH is the missing piece to help the team win the Aegis of Champions at The International 2017.
Now, with the last Major of DPC 2018-2019 just a few days away, the European team has decided to part ways with its core player MATUMBAMAN. Matu has been a member of the team since October 2015, won multiple championship titles and is one of the best talents in Dota 2.
— Team Liquid (@TeamLiquid) June 12, 2019
Liquid was one of the few championship teams that didn’t fall under the curse next season. The boys continued to maintain their world-class status, overwhelming the DPC at the beginning of the 2017-2018 season, winning the first event of StarLadder i-League Invitational Season 3 and ending with the title of China Dota 2 Supermajor. Since then, after the success of Season 1, Team Liquid has kept its top form.
Thanks to its strength, Team Liquid is not only the 2nd team honored to be invited directly to TI8, but also the highest earning team in Dota 2, reaching a total of $15,547,847.10 until the present time.
As one of the strong contenders at TI8, Team Liquid fought hard but was forced to stop in the top 4.
In this 2018-2019 season, Team Liquid dropped a bit. The boys missed the first series of events despite winning the right to attend, and then withdrew from the DreamLeague Season 10 Minor. It didn’t take long for Liquid to return, but only ranked 7-8 at the Chongqing Major. Most shocking was the fact that the team finished last at the DreamLeague Season 11 Major before regaining its miraculous form by placing second at the MDL Disneyland Paris Major. Thanks to that, Liquid won enough points to get themselves a direct invitation to TI9.
Unlike previous years, the roster change won’t cancel Liquid’s invite as long as the team still has enough points. With 3,525 points in their pocket, even with a 20% deduction, they still have enough points to keep their direct invitation ticket.
According to the announcement from the organization itself, the new member has bootcamped to practice with the team and will be announced in the near future. Matu is now a free agent if he wants to pick another team for himself.
Liquid’s roster is as follows:
Amer “Miracle-” Al-Barkawi
Ivan “MindControl” Ivanov
Maroun “GH” Merhej
Kuro Salhi “Kuroky-” Takhasomi
Source link: Dota 2: Team Liquid parted ways with MATUMBAMAN right before EPICENTER
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