Editors note: Team Liquid have now made an official announcement on their RLCS roster.
Team Liquid Rocket League will play with the trio of Aldin “Ronaky” Hodzic, Hrant “Flakes” Yakoub and Bruno “AcroniK” Lopes. The official announcement has not yet been made, but the roster are signed up for RLCS together.
The new Team Liquid Rocket League line-up was one of the worst-kept secrets in the RLCS scene, as the trio was often seen playing and scrimming together. After TL’s announcement of Jack “Speed” Packwood-Clarke’s and Emil “fruity” Moselund’s departure, it is simply a matter of time before the official announcement. However, the team is signed up on smash.gg for the RLCS, already confirming the rumor.
Ronaky picks up a rising star and returning Rocket League veteran for Team Liquid
Ronaky joined Team Liquid during RLCS X, when the team underperformed in the first split of the season. However, while the team marginally improved, they never quite found their stride. The two founding TL players are now dropped, allowing Ronaky to build a team around himself.
AcroniK was one of the gems discovered during RLCS X. He had a phenomenal breakout season with BS+ COMPETITION, showcasing a high amount of individual highlight plays. The Portuguese player quickly turned himself into a coveted pickup and many believe him to be an excellent upgrade for the Team Liquid roster.
Flakes, on the other hand, was a surprising bit of news when Shift first reported it. Flakes is a veteran in the scene and played with Ronaky before, on FC Barcelona. However, after a successful RLCS Season 9, where they finished second in Europe, Flakes departed the team to find a roster more fitting for his playstyle. He was unable to do so and nearly fell into irrelevance.
To see Flakes return to a premier organization after struggling to find a spot in the RLCS for a full season raised many brows. The Dutch Armenian player is talented and grew into a crowd-favorite for playing with fan-voted battle-cars in official RLCS matches. However, due to his long absence and evident struggles, he was not on anyone’s radar.
The new Team Liquid Rocket League roster may surprise us all at RLCS 2021-22. Ronaky has taken a huge risk in forming this roster. However, there is no denying that Flakes’ return — linking up with Ronaky and AcroniK — is going to be one of the most interesting storylines to keep an eye on.
