One of the longest-standing names in esports has finally joined the Counter-Strike scene.
Team Liquid announced today it has acquired the services of the American Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team that had most recently played as Denial Esports.
The move had been heavily rumored since Damian “Daps” Steel and his teammates departed the Denial Esports organization just days ago. Sources close to the team had confirmed a new organization had already been lined up, and that group proved to be Team Liquid.
The acting manager for Team Liquid’s League of Legends squad, Steve Perino, spoke glowingly about his new Counter-Strike players in an official statement.
“The team has a certain harmony that feels natural and sincere, which shows in their mutual respect and concern for one another,” Perino wrote.
That concern seemed to be in question when new Team Liquid member Joseph “Fugly” Medina was booted from the team while they still played under Denial to make room for a returning Nick “Nitro” Cannella. Following an unexpected loss in an MLG qualifying match, Todd “Anger” Williams was then kicked from the squad less than a day later in order to bring Medina back on board.
Whatever the reason for those moves and others, which defined Denial in late 2014, Steele made it clear that their future now seems bright with the backing of Team Liquid secured.
“We feel that being a part of Team Liquid will allow us to take our game to the next level and accomplish even more in the future,” Steele said.
Given their failed bid for a qualifying spot at the upcoming MLG event at X Games, the new Team Liquid will have to wait for a time to prove themselves to their new backers in a live environment. In the meantime, they’ll be participating in both the ESEA invite and CEVO professional leagues.
Image via Team Liquid/Facebook
