Liquid forced to delay Jorko debut, ultimate returns for BLAST Bounty
Roster eligibility rules tied to Liquid's December 2025 VRS ranking mean Roland 'ultimate' Tomkowiak steps back in as the team's AWPer for BLAST Bounty Season 2.
A roster detour before the new season even starts
Team Liquid were hoping BLAST Bounty Season 2 would serve as a fresh start. After a rough first half of 2026 that saw the organization nearly miss out on IEM Cologne Major qualification, the arrival of 17-year-old AWPer Georgi “Jorko” Mitev felt like a genuine signal of intent. Instead, the team’s first event of the new season will feature a familiar face in the booth: Roland “ultimate” Tomkowiak, the very player Jorko was signed to replace.
As reported by HLTV, Liquid confirmed on July 17 that ultimate will return to the starting lineup for BLAST Bounty Season 2 due to what the organization described as “tournament sign-up guidelines.” A later clarification spelled out the specifics: BLAST’s roster eligibility requirements for Wildcard invitations require that a participating team feature at least three players from a roster that ranked inside the VRS top 12. Liquid’s most recent roster to achieve that benchmark did so in December 2025, and it included ultimate.
That roster also included Guy “NertZ” Iluz, Keith “NAF” Markovic, Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski, and Kamil “siuhy” Szkaradek. Three of those five are still on the active lineup, which is just enough to clear the threshold with ultimate back in the picture.
What this means for Jorko and the bigger roster picture
For Jorko, it is a waiting game. The Bulgarian teenager, who carries a 1.08 rating across 281 maps according to HLTV’s stats, joined Liquid specifically to take over AWP duties from ultimate. His debut will now have to come at a later event.
The situation also shines a light on another potential change looming over the roster. Ultimate’s return is being read by HLTV as further confirmation that siuhy’s time with Liquid may be nearly up. Dust2.us has reported that Johnny “JT” Theodosiou of Passion UA is set to come in as the team’s new IGL, replacing siuhy ahead of the new season. Liquid have not officially confirmed that move, but the roster math makes the reporting hard to dismiss.
The roster Liquid will bring to BLAST Bounty Season 2
According to HLTV, Liquid’s confirmed lineup for the event is as follows: NAF, EliGE, Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa, siuhy, and ultimate, with Viktor “flashie” Tamas Bea serving as coach.
It is a functional group on paper. NAF and EliGE are two of the most experienced players in North American CS history, and malbsMd has steadily developed into a reliable piece since joining. But the underlying instability is hard to ignore. Liquid are heading into a marquee event with a transitional lineup, one player already confirmed to be leaving and another whose future appears uncertain.
For a team that spent much of 2026’s first half fighting to stay relevant on the major circuit, the optics are not ideal. BLAST Bounty Season 2 will at minimum give fans a look at how this group holds together under pressure before the offseason changes fully take shape.
Why is ultimate standing in for Liquid at BLAST Bounty Season 2?
According to HLTV, BLAST's roster eligibility requirements for Wildcard invitations state that a team must feature three members from a roster that ranked in the VRS top 12. Liquid's qualifying roster from December 2025 included ultimate, which necessitates his return for the event.
When will Jorko make his debut for Team Liquid?
Jorko's debut will be delayed beyond BLAST Bounty Season 2. As reported by HLTV, the 17-year-old AWPer recently signed with Liquid but cannot play at this particular event due to the tournament's sign-up guidelines.
Is siuhy leaving Team Liquid?
According to a report by Dust2.us cited by HLTV, IGL Kamil 'siuhy' Szkaradek is set to be replaced by Johnny 'JT' Theodosiou ahead of the new season, though Liquid have not officially confirmed the move.