
Team Liquid is giving NA signs of life on the 2024 LoL international stage
It is safe to say international competition is not always a fun time for a North American fan. For an entire year, fans build up the excitement of seeing their favorite LCS squad tackle the world on the biggest stage, only to be swept in about the same time it took to make their coffee. Team Liquid, however, has built a program that North American fans can be proud of.
For many years, Cloud9 was the “savior” of North America, consistently going the furthest of any LCS squad at Worlds. While their accomplishments should be noted in the history of the LCS, there hasn’t been a team for quite some time that has strung together the consistency to look competitive across the calendar year. And that is what Team Liquid has done so far.
A different approach for Team Liquid LoL
Unless you were a member of the Team Liquid LoL program, it’s safe to say you were doubtful this year would amount to much. After a troubled 2023 campaign, which saw them bomb out of the 2023 LoL World Championship without a win to their name, TL had to make changes.
Team Liquid doubled down on their academy graduates Sean “Yeon” Sung and Eain “APA” Stearns, two young players who did not show their best in Korea. Even with the pressure from the community to make those changes, TL stood firm, replacing Park “Summit” Woo-tae for the returning Jeong “Impact” Eon-young and Hong “Pyosik” Chang-hyeo for Um “UmTi” Sung-hyeon.
It was a slow start for the former LCS champions. The squad limped to a 7-7 regular season finish, and the pressure was mounting on the organization as they stared down the barrel of yet more roster mistakes. This was until the playoffs, however.
TL played a close and respectable upper-bracket match with the playoff favorite in FlyQuest. And while it didn’t go TL’s way in the upper bracket, the squad kicked it into high gear and dominated the rest of playoffs, including the rematch against FLY. This win marked their return to the Mid-Season Invitational for the first time since 2019 when they made the finals.
International performances NA can be hopeful for

Team Liquid is celebrating their victory in the LCS. Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
Although TL did have a strong playoff performance, many doubted how they would fare on the international stage. As the North American first seed, you must showcase your skill against teams you should be better than. This includes every LEC team outside of G2, which has consistently put up competitive performances at MSI and Worlds against the East.
And while, in my opinion, North America is not ready to make that jump, they need to, at the very least, show they are better than their closest rivals in Europe.
Team Liquid did that across the 2024 Mid-Season Invitational and the Esports World Cup. Team Liquid put Europe’s second seed, Fnatic, to the sword. Both series were not close, and Team Liquid showcased their strength against one of Europe’s best teams. This should be the standard for a North American first seed from now on. We are not expecting them to overthrow the LCK or the LPL, but it’s unacceptable for an NA first seed to lose to anyone but G2 from Europe.
Can NA ever stand against T1?
And then there is T1, the reigning world champions and a thorn in North America’s side. Historically, the LCS has fared terribly against this organization, so it is understandable how we had no expectations of even having a competitive match against the LCK juggernaut, but we were wrong. Team Liquid LoL at MSI arguably should have won. They had avenues to win the series against T1, which is remarkable in itself when facing the likes of Faker and Zeus.
The one thing TL has that can match the East is its preparation. They are excellent at it, their macro game is solid, and they always give themselves a fighting chance. This was the case in both series against T1 this year. TL had it in their hands but could not close it out. As disappointing as the results were, the performances showcased a North American team that could put together a program that looked competitive on the international stage, and that is what all fans are asking for.