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Team Liquid is looking to disband their Overwatch team and sell their slot in Overwatch Contenders, with Season 2 starting on August 14.
That’s the story according to ESPN, who claim sources close to the matter have confirmed this. Team Liquid haven’t responded to comment, but it would fit with the many, many endemic organisations wrapping up their Overwatch teams.
It’s not all doom and gloom. Several of the Overwatch roster, Shane ‘Rapha’ Hendrixson, Tim ‘DaHanG’ Fogarty and Andrew ‘id_’ Trulli are moving to Quake Champions, with the team already announcing the three will compete at Quakecon on August 24-27 in Dallas. Meanwhile, Keven ‘AZK’ Lariveire was once a member of the banned IBUYPOWER Counter-Strike: Global Offensive roster, but after a recent unbanning by ESL, there’s been a lot of talk of him reuniting with his former teammates at IBP.
The rest of the players and their coach, Dennis ‘INTERNETHULK’ Hawelka, will be looking to remain in Overwatch and have been released by the organisation.
Team Liquid entered Overwatch in April 2016, acquiring an amateur team in the early competitive days of the game. This step away, if true to reports, is a firm statement of intent from Liquid. The team have the money to stay in the game after large investment from esports venture outfit aXiomatic, and are still expanding, recently acquiring a PUBG roster.
It seems they just don’t view Overwatch as a strong prospect, which is yet another body blow to Overwatch’s esports hopes.
