Team Liquid was a favorite to win DreamLeague Season 24 after their triumph at The International 2024 (TI13). However, this tournament has revealed some issues that the reigning champions have not seen before, indicating they may face a bumpy ride in the future.
A Promising Start, But Signs of Trouble
Team Liquid began DreamLeague Season 24 with a relatively successful performance in the first group stage, winning cleanly against some less powerful teams. However, an unexpected loss to BetBoom Team—a team that had made significant changes to their lineup post-TI13—raised some early red flags. Though this first group stage was enough to advance Liquid to the second phase, underlying weaknesses were already apparent.
Challenges Rise in the Second Stage of the Competition
After advancing to the second group stage, Team Liquid’s performance began to deteriorate. They lost all three Bo3 series to Team Falcons, PARIVION, and Team Spirit—teams they had previously dominated at TI13. This slump revealed that there might be deeper issues, as Liquid seemed to struggle against the stronger teams in the tournament.
Upon reviewing their gameplay, one factor stood out: a tendency to experiment with unconventional drafts and hero choices. While innovation can be an asset, Liquid’s frequent attempts to “spice things up” only led to confusion and disorganization on the map. The team’s drafts appeared aggressive but often failed to be effective, leaving fans questioning what might be happening behind the scenes.
The Impact of 33’s Departure
One possible reason for Team Liquid’s decline could be the absence of Neta “33” Shapira. As a versatile offlaner, 33 had played a key role in helping Liquid overcome their second-place curse and become more flexible in gameplay. Without him, Liquid’s drafting has seemed less diverse, placing additional pressure on captain Aydin “Insania” Sarkohi to develop winning strategies. In comparison to past performances, Insania’s drafts now appear more random and are not as consistent or effective as they were with 33 on the team.
Can Team Liquid Bounce Back?
With only four teams from Group Stage 2 qualifying for the DreamLeague Season 24 Playoffs, Team Liquid finds itself in a vulnerable position. Eastern European teams currently dominate, and Liquid will have to fight for every point. With PARIVION and BetBoom emerging as some of the strongest competitors, Liquid faces an uphill battle.
For now, fans can only hope that Team Liquid can recapture the form that led them to the TI13 championship and bring that level of play to DreamLeague. Whether they can turn things around in time remains to be seen.
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