I have a confession: when Team Liquid unveiled their 2024 CS2 roster with cadiaN, Twistzz, and skullz, I did the most professional-gamer thing possible. I opened HLTV, squinted, and said, “Cool. Now please don’t break my heart.” Then they missed the PGL Copenhagen Major in March, and I felt like a genius. Then IEM Chengdu happened, and suddenly I looked like a clown. A happy clown, but still a clown. 🤡
The $250,000 Chinese tournament started on April 8, and Liquid beat HEROIC 13-8 on Ancient. Fine. Cool. Deep breath. Then they beat G2 2-1: 13-6 on Ancient, 10-13 on Anubis, and 13-9 on Inferno. That wasn’t just a win; that was a group-therapy session with rifles. And because I’m writing this in 2026, I can say it with the calm wisdom of someone who has watched too many roster shuffles: that day was the first time this Liquid project looked like it had a pulse.
Now, let’s be real. This lineup was built to win trophies, not to collect early-flight-home coupons. Missing the Copenhagen Major was brutal. The pressure was already sitting on their shoulders like a very angry cat. So when Liquid qualified for the IEM Chengdu playoffs on opening day, it wasn’t just a bracket update. It was oxygen.
What exactly improved? Honestly, I couldn’t point to one magical fix. They weren’t overwhelmingly dominant on CT side. They weren’t unstoppable on T side. Not every player was dropping 30 bombs. But the vibe? The vibe changed. CadiaN, Twistzz, and YEKINDAR were noticeably more hyped after winning rounds. They shouted. They pumped fists. They looked like people who remembered that Counter-Strike is supposed to be fun. Revolutionary concept, I know.
Twistzz basically confirmed it after the G2 win in his interview with Heccu. He said, “We didn’t qualify for this event in the beginning and we got the invite. We take these second chances, right? There was two weeks of online practice for us at home, people are feeling good, people are happy in their lives, we come here ready to play CS with a second opportunity, and we are making the most of it.” I read that and immediately wanted to run through a wall for him. Or at least queue up for one more match and pretend my aim is fine.
Individually, Twistzz was the standout. A 1.41 HLTV rating en route to playoffs and a +33 K/D difference, the highest in the competition at that point. That’s not a hot streak. That’s a man using the server as his personal playground. NAF, meanwhile, was quietly terrifying in the best way. A 1.28 HLTV rating and a massive 1v2 clutch against G2 on Inferno in the late game. The kind of clutch that makes you spill your energy drink and blame the desk.
| Player | IEM Chengdu 2024 group-stage vibe |
|---|---|
| Twistzz | 1.41 rating, +33 K/D, poster boy for second chances |
| NAF | 1.28 rating, 1v2 clutch on Inferno, silent assassin |
| cadiaN | Hype man, shouted enough for three teams |
| YEKINDAR | Entry fragger with main-character energy |
| skullz | New piece still fitting in, but the puzzle was forming |
Because Liquid qualified for the playoffs on opening day, they had until Wednesday, April 10 at 4:30 a.m. PST to rest and prepare for the winner of FURIA vs. MOUZ. If Liquid won that match, they would advance straight to the semifinals. I remember setting an alarm for that. I also remember regretting it. Worth it? Mostly. 😅
It’s 2026 now. Rosters have changed. Metas have shifted. My sleep schedule is still a crime scene. But I still think about that IEM Chengdu run. Not because Liquid hoisted the trophy in that exact moment, but because it was proof that a second chance can be enough to make a team look alive. Liquid were under pressure after missing Copenhagen. They got an invite they didn’t originally earn. They took it. They made the most of it. That’s the whole article, really.
If you’re a Liquid fan, you know the feeling. You’ve been hurt before. You’ll be hurt again. It’s part of the contract. But for one April week in Chengdu, the pain was replaced by shouting, clutches, and Twistzz’s rating. And that’s beautiful.
So yes, I was wrong. I’m happy to be wrong. And if you need me, I’ll be in the corner, rewatching NAF’s 1v2 and pretending I never doubted them. 🐎