Defending champions Team Liquid eliminated at Game Changers

Team Liquid was eliminated from Game Changers Championship 2026 after losing 2-0 to KRÜ Blaze on Oct. 28 in São Paulo, Brazil. The result gave Liquid its worst finish at the world championship and ended its title defense on home soil.

Liquid had reached the podium at each Game Changers Championship it attended before 2026. The team finished third in 2022, was the runner-up in 2023, did not qualify in 2024 and won the title in 2025.

Liquid opened the 2026 tournament with a 2-0 loss to Gentle Mates GC and entered the lower bracket. It then defeated Nova Esports GC and G2 Gozen by 2-0 scores before losing to KRÜ. Liquid finished the tournament with two series wins and two losses.

Liquid led KRÜ 8-4 at halftime on Summit, but KRÜ won the map 13-9. KRÜ then won Haven, Liquid’s map pick, 13-6. Liquid received $25,000 from the tournament’s $500,000 prize pool.

Four teams remain: Gentle Mates GC, Shopify Rebellion Gold, KRÜ Blaze and MIBR GC. Gentle Mates and Shopify Rebellion are undefeated in series and will meet in the upper-bracket final on Friday, Oct. 30, at 3 p.m. BRT.

KRÜ will face MIBR in a lower-bracket elimination match on Friday at 6 p.m. BRT. MIBR advanced after defeating SK Nebula 2-0 on Wednesday, including a 13-0 win on Summit.

The winner of the KRÜ-MIBR match will advance to the lower-bracket final on Saturday, Oct. 31. The grand final is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 1, at Riot Games Arena in São Paulo.

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