Team Liquid is very close to doing great in CS2. The two leaders, Viktor flashie Tamas Bea and Kamil siuhy Szkaradek, are starting to work smoothly. This brings steady play from Keith NAF Markovic, Jonathan EliGE Jablonowski, and Guy NertZ Iluz.
There is one big issue. That makes just four players on the team. The same good things do not apply to their sniper, Roland ultimate Tomkowiak.
Not Ready for the Top Level?
One thing stands out clear. Ultimate is just not a top-level sniper. There is no shame in that. Not many snipers reach that level these days.
It is probably the toughest time ever for the usual star snipers to stand out in Counter-Strike. But it is also easy for them to drop off. Ultimate does not fade away.
Instead, his bold way of playing shows all the problems with Team Liquid.
The odd part is that Ultimate does not start that many first fights. Mathieu ZywOo Herbaut, Ilya m0NESY Ospipov, and Danil molodoy Golubenko all start 3-8% more of their team’s attack-side first fights. The same holds for defense side. And they do better when they start those fights.
Of course, starting a fight is the clearest sign of boldness in Counter-Strike. But it is not the only one. Trying to take back lost ground or picking risky spots to watch can show boldness too. This is where most of Ultimate’s boldness shows up. It leads to more deaths per round than any of those snipers. And sadly, fewer kills per round too.
The truth is, Ultimate lacks the skill to handle those fights. Molodoy can do it well, getting 0.63 sniper kills per round. Even ZywOo and m0NESY, who use rifles more than most snipers, get 0.47 sniper kills per round. Ultimate gets only 0.40.
In truth, Ultimate does not beat any of these snipers in any sniper stat. That hurts a team still trying to become a real challenger after years away. It is a real problem when he faces one of them, as a podcast below explains.
Finding a New Sniper
Sadly, Ultimate has not gotten better since joining Liquid in 2024. He has actually slipped as teams learn his style and block it better. Now 18 months after he joined, it means one thing. Time to let him go.
But who to get? As we noted, snipers face tough times now more than ever. Who can really shine in this key role?
The clear choice is former Spirit and Falcons sniper Abdul degster Gasanov. He is a bit overhyped from his top player award at PGL Bucharest before Falcons sat him. But he is the only top sniper free to sign right now. That makes him a good pick.
He is a proven top player with lots of experience. He has stepped up in big events before. We cannot say that about other picks we suggest.
Another choice is MIBR’s loan sniper Klimtentii kl1m Krivosheev. The old G2 Ares star has done great in South America since joining MIBR. Like ZywOo and m0NESY, he handles rifles well. That helps even as molodoy changes how snipers play.
He has not fully proven himself in Europe yet. But his good play at StarLadder Budapest Major, despite MIBR’s issues, shows he is ready. It would cost a buyout fee, likely high.
If Liquid wants a sniper already proven in Europe, look at BIG’s Gleb gr1ks Gazin. His name took a hit after HEROIC dropped him. But he has burst out on BIG, winning small events with strong sniper numbers. He would cost a lot too. But that is the price for chasing trophies.
For now, it does not matter which sniper they pick. They just need to pick one. Or anyone else. Just not keep Ultimate. The player from Poland does not measure up. Liquid will struggle to make playoffs steady while he holds their big green gun.
