Photo by LoLEsports
Following news of looking to replace former head coach Peter “PtotheD” Zhang, sources from The Daily Dot indicate that Team Liquid continues to make further drastic roster changes as they bench long-time support player Alex “Xpecial” Chu. This change is headed by team shotcaller Christian “IWillDominate” Rivera, who is looking to bring youthful and vigorous players that can breathe a new form of life into the wavering team.
During this past Summer Split of 2015, Team Liquid had fought strongly, having been tied for first place several times and finishing with a solid third place. Great concern arose for the team when they played fan favorite Cloud 9 in the final gauntlet series to make Worlds as they were beaten 1-3, where C9 had their most dominating series of said split. Upon their defeat, several TL members expressed their heartbreak over the event and made serious note that big changes were to come in Spring of 2016.
Chu’s replacement is said to be former Team Dragon Knights’ support Andy “Smoothie” Ta. Thanks to visa issues plaguing several main team players, TDK faced a miserable LCS split, as they were faced with an automatic relegation. Despite the difficulties, Rivera expressed much praise for Ta and is hoping he’s the young blood the team is looking for to revitalize the roster.
It is not yet known what Chu’s plans are for the up-and-coming LCS season. With a career as lustrous as his own, it shouldn’t be much trouble to find a new team to join. However, many bring into question how such a long career may render him irrelevant as a support player after so much time. Will this change lead Liquid in a stronger direction? Should Xpecial have been given one more chance? Season 6 will be sure to tell.
