Team Liquid is going through a difficult 2025 in Counter-Strike 2, facing poor results, a coaching change, and a leadership shakeup. After an early elimination at IEM Dallas 2025, where they defeated FaZe with a booth but lost to MOUZ and Aurora in the group stage, the team is preparing for the BLAST.tv Austin Major, which will begin on June 7 for the team. Liquid will be entering the tournament in the third stage, and Keith "NAF" Markovic spoke about its form, team issues, and the importance of playing in front of North American fans.

Self-analysis, team challenges and plans for the Major

This year, Team Liquid failed to achieve the expected results. After several quarterfinals in 2024, the team invited NertZ in early 2025, still having jks in the team and mithR as a coach, which was encouraging. But the performance deteriorated, which led to changes: Twistzz left the role of IGL and was replaced by siuhy. NAF admitted that the team did not live up to expectations:

We looked promising, but our results didn't support that.

Keith "NAF" Markovic

NAF on his form and role in the team

NAF spoke frankly about his difficulties, noting that his form left much to be desired.

My individual form has been terrible, to say the least. There's nothing but disappointment in my opinion

Keith "NAF" Markovic

He explained that after the addition of NertZ and the arrival of siuhy as an IGL, it became difficult to find his place in the team, as siuhy is more focused on individual play.

Ever since we added NertZ, I've been having a hard time finding my space within the team. With siuhy coming in, he's not your classic, super selfless IGL-he wants to perform individually and always looks for his plays and space

Keith "NAF" Markovic

Nevertheless, he is determined to rectify the situation at the Major.

I have no excuses. I need to find my form, and with the Major coming up, that's a big motivation

Keith "NAF" Markovic

Problems with team synergy

The elimination from IEM Dallas revealed systemic flaws in Liquid's game. NAF said that the team is trying to find a balance in the distribution of roles, as some players feel uncomfortable on certain maps.

There's a lot of uncertainty about how we play in the server. We need to get back to practice, find solutions before the Major, and be on the same page

Keith "NAF" Markovic

Despite the absence of personal conflicts, synergy in the game needs to be improved, and NAF believes that this will help the entire team.

Development of ultimate in Tier-1

As for the newcomer Ultimate, NAF noted his confidence and energy, but emphasized that he still needs to adapt to the Tier-1 level.

Ultimate is a super confident player, and we love the energy he brought when he joined. He has a lot of ideas, and we let him play his way

Keith "NAF" Markovic

He added that Ultimate, like the rest of the team, suffers from systemic issues, but remains a promising player.

Twistzz as IGL: lessons from the past

NAF spoke positively about the period when Twistzz was IGL, noting that it did well despite the difficult roster.

Twistzz did a good job. He has a great understanding of the game, having played under karrigan at FaZe during their successful run

Keith "NAF" Markovic

He believes that Twistzz can return to the IGL role in the future with the right players.

Expectations from the Austin Major

BLAST.tv Austin Major, which will take place at Moody Center from June 19 to 22, will be special for NAF and Twistzz as they will be performing in front of North American fans. NAF recalled the support during the Intel Grand Slam and expressed hope to reach the playoffs.

Liquid has always been an NA organization with a loyal fanbase. It would mean a lot to make the playoffs, perform well, and play in a big arena

Keith "NAF" Markovic

Starting from the third stage, according to the NAF, has its pros and cons, but the key will be mental readiness.

In a lot of our games, we don't feel like the stronger team mentally. We need to gain that edge and be more prepared to win

Keith "NAF" Markovic

The Austin Major could determine the fate of the current Liquid team. NAF noted that after the tournament, the team will take a break to decide whether to stay together.