Team Liquid parts ways with Taiga ahead of 2022 DPC

Team Liquid has finalized its roster for the upcoming Dota Pro Circuit season as Tommy “Taiga” Le leaves the team to explore other options. 

No specifics around his departure were shared, but this move brings Liquid down to a normal five-man rotation following the addition of former Team Secret players MATUMBAMAN and zai last week. 

Along with qojqva’s temporary move to full-time content creation within the organization, this will mark the first time miCKe, qojqva, Boxi, Taiga, and iNSaNiA will not be playing together since they first grouped up on Alliance in June 2018. 

During their time together, that group of five players went from an upstart roster fighting for spots in big events through open qualifiers to a staple of nearly every Major, even winning their first Major at ESL One Germany 2020. Unfortunately for the team, the 2021 DPC didn’t pan out the way they wanted, as regional league success did not translate into strong performances at either Major. 

With a ninth and 13th-place exit in each of the two DPC Majors, Liquid did not have enough DPC points to qualify directly for a spot at The International 10. In a stacked open qualifier bracket, they dropped series to Tundra Esports and Team Nigma, ending their season and forcing the team to look at potential shakeups internally. 

Signing Matu and zai was the first step, and with Taiga’s departure, the team can now decide on the positions for each player heading into the EU DPC’s upper division for the first Tour of 2022. 

“Tommy will always remain a part of our journey, and a great friend,” Liquid coach William “Blitz” Lee said. “Regardless of which team he is on, he always has a place in our hearts and we will unconditionally root for his success. It was not easy to make this decision, but we know that Tommy will be successful in whatever he does afterwards.”

Meanwhile, Taiga has been long rumored to be joining OG’s rebuilding roster as the team’s new position four player alongside either a returning n0tail or incoming captain Misha.