It was frankly an astonishing turn of events on Sunday when Russel ‘Twistzz’ Van Dulken announced at the end of the finals match of Liquid versus Astralis that he was stepping down from play with Team Liquid as the organization looks to change up their roster for moving forward.
You could hear a pin drop on the internet as one of the more consistent players of the North American juggernaut team has opted to step down from the scene. Then, a flurry of questions began to arise with many claiming that Twistzz is leaving the team when they arguably need him the most.
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Russel van Dulken has been with Team Liquid since early 2018 after a precociously short stint with Misfits that lasted all of three months before Liquid picked him up.
It’s another hefty blow, some have stated, to the North American scene as rumors are circulating that Twistzz is also considering Valorant in the near future, which has not been verified by anyone reputable.
It appears that Twistzz is considering a move to the EU scene, instead. The Liquid core, as it was known, is officially dead with Nitr0 moving to Valorant and Twistzz looking to head to EU.
It doesn’t rob the core of their achievement of reaching the Intel Grand Slam, and the clutches that he brought across the three-and-a-half-year tenure are not diminished in the slightest. Russel van Dulken stated that the move was a ‘mutual decision’ between himself and the Liquid organization.
Now, new rumors are circulating as fans speculate on who could possibly fill the void that Twistzz is leaving. How about no other than ex-MIBR player and controversial figure, Gabriel ‘FalleN’ Toledo?
Even the famed Richard Lewis, an occasionally controversial figure who has earned the esport Journalist of the Year award in 2016.
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FalleN has an impeccable Train game that he has shown time and again, and he could very well be the figure that can either bring Liquid back to their former glory or be a singular catalyst that makes them crash and burn in spectacular fashion.
There is considered to be little room between the two extremes.
Thorin notably considered Gabriel Toledo to be the ‘best IGL in the world’ in early 2016, and he continued to IGL for MIBR for some time. FalleN was also rumored to be up for joining the Polish team Honoris, yet no fruit was ever borne from those rumors. It remains to be seen if they’ll be born this time around.