Team Liquid reportedly signs Trexx for VCT EMEA Stage 2
After a disappointing exit from VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Masters Toronto 2025, Team Liquid is already making moves to retool their roster ahead of VCT EMEA Stage Two.
According to esports reporter Alejandro Gomis, Liquid is reportedly signing former Team Vitality player Nikita "trexx" Cherednichenko to replace SerialKiller in the starting lineup. There were multiple candidates supposedly lined up for the position, including Pontus "Zyppan" Eek and Bogdan "sheydos" Naumov.
Looking for a fix
It’s currently unclear whether Liquid will be keeping their substitute duelist Erik "penny" Penny, who delivered a handful of standout moments at Masters Toronto. With this move, Liquid’s lineup appears locked in for Stage Two, and with it, their final shot at qualifying for Champions Paris later this year.
Liquid’s run in Toronto ended earlier than expected, largely due to a sluggish start in the Swiss Stage. They got off to a shaky start against Bilibili Gaming, and it was made worse by the fact that their star in-game leader, Ayaz "nAts" Akhmetshin, wasn't available due to visa issues. Without his leadership, the team struggled to find footing in the event’s early moments.
Though they bounced back with a win against MIBR, they couldn’t maintain that momentum in their next matchup versus Paper Rex. In all fairness, the Pacific powerhouse would go on to win the entire tournament—but fans couldn’t help but wonder what could have been if nAts had been present from the start, and whether a stronger opening round have changed the course of their tournament.
As soon as nAts arrived, Liquid started utilizing a sixth-man strategy between Serial and Penny, subbing them in based on team needs. While Serial had more experience with the core, it was Penny made a great impression, including a 30-bomb in their second map against BLG. His performance raised questions about whether he deserved a permanent spot moving forward.
Bringing in some Russian firepower
Trexx, on the other hand, will be bringing proven firepower. The former Vitality standout was one of the top players at VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Masters Bangkok 2025 earlier this year, finishing with the seventh-highest KDA at the event and a strong 207 ACS. He was eventually benched in March in favor of Clement "CyvOph" Millard.
With Trexx joining the fold, Liquid is clearly aiming to regroup and recharge their squad for one last shot at international glory. If you want to stay locked in with all of the news around the VCT EMEA, stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG.
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