NAF renews contract with Team Liquid
Team Liquid recently announced that Canadian CS:GO star, Keith “NAF” Markovic, will remain on their roster until 2024. Naf is a skilled rifler and AWPer who has been playing for Team Liquid since 2018.
NAF’s inclusion on Team Liquid has helped cement numerous victories over the past three years, taking first place at tournaments like IEM Sydney, Dreamhack Masters Dallas, ESL Pro League, and Intel Grand Slam Season Two. His recent performance at the BLAST Premier Fall Final was equally ferocious as he averaged a 1.15 rating overall.
NAF is Helping Team Liquid Focus on the Future.
After a series of roster changes that negatively affected the team’s recent performance, Team Liquid is looking to rebuild their CS:GO program.
In 2020, Liquid’s IGL Nicholas “nitr0” Cannella retired from CS:GO, pivoting to competitive VALORANT with a contract from 100 Thieves. Since then, Team Liquid has struggled to find their footing and recently failed to qualify for the PGL Stockholm major playoffs. These unfortunate performances increased doubts about Team Liquid’s competitive viability and have led to the notion that Liquid is a “dead team.”
However, NAF’s reaction to the team’s shortcomings and outward appearance show an incredibly positive attitude and outlook for their future. In a recent interview with Fragbite, NAF elaborated on how this public perception has actually improved the teams performance at BLAST.
“We’re somewhat of a dead team,” NAF explained. “We don’t have any pressure: all the pressure was on Ninjas In Pyjamas.”
“Obviously they should have won with our state,” continued NAF. “We haven’t been practicing too much. But at the end of the day, shit happens.”
Team Liquid was able to clutch out an upset victory over Ninjas in Pyjamas, securing a 6th place spot and a prize of $15,000.
Team Liquid’s Potential Roster Changes
NAF’s renewal is undoubtedly a good move for Team Liquid as they look to add more talent to the team.
Nitr0 is still considering whether he will make a return to CS:GO, and in a recent report from Upcomer, it seems like Team Liquid is already in talks.
Fellow Liquid teammates Stewie2K and Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo are reportedly considering alternative options. Likewise, the future for support rifler Michael “Grim” Wince is currently unclear.
The offseason changes for Team Liquid will certainly be interesting to watch unfold. For now though, we’re happy to see NAF remain with Team Liquid as we look forward to next season.
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