In the world of esports, behind-the-scenes dealings can often move faster than the games themselves. Case in point: Team Liquid has reportedly tapped Brazilian Counter-Strike guru zews, a former player with a star-studded record who made his pivot to coaching in 2015 and coached a previous Liquid lineup between Nov. 2016 and Dec. 2018.
This revelation comes mere hours after the news that Liquid had parted ways with their previous Counter-Strike head coach, Damian “daps” Steele, a perplexing move that left the future of their entire European adventure in doubt. The first tournament of the revamped Counter-Strike 2 hasn’t even concluded yet—not that they managed to qualify. Now is the time for teams to establish themselves on the scene, but Liquid’s tenure has thus far been characterized by missteps, mismanagement and nonsensical shuffles.
With daps likely the main architect of Liquid’s controversial European signings of Rainwaker and Patsi, both of which have immediately backfired on the squad, it makes sense that his head would be the one to roll. While it was adreN who led Liquid to Intel Grand Slam glory, overshadowing zews’ tenure, a long stint and a familiarity with the org’s goings-on seem to be their next gamble.
Since his departure, zews coached Yeah Gaming, MIBR, EG, O Plano, and Fluxo, leaving little mark on elite-level CS. Liquid’s post-adreN tenuire also makes for a sad reading, prompting this rekindling of an old flame.
Reports also suggest that Felipe “skullz” Medeiros—another Brazilian player with an impressive record—has also joined the team, continuing Liquid’s recent trend of pivoting away from their historically North American roots to bring in a more international roster. One can only hope that skullz will work out better than their last talent acquisition, which saw one player benched within months and another reportedly dismissed entirely. Liquid is clearly banking on zews and skullz to give their flagging Counter-Strike venture the shot in the arm it sorely needs.
The sudden Brazilian pivot would also suggest that recent rumors about the addition of cadiaN have gone up in smoke, leaving further question marks around the project.
