Team Liquid Brazil Restructures After Honda Partnership Ends

Team Liquid Brazil is restructuring its operation after Honda declined to renew a six-year partnership. General Manager Miah Campos discussed the changes, the company’s response to the controversy and plans for its Brazilian fanbase during an interview at the organisation’s Alienware Training Facility in São Paulo.

Campos became general manager in May 2026 after serving as Team Liquid’s director of partnerships and sales in Brazil. She succeeded Rafael Queiroz, who spent eight years with the organisation before joining Evo.

Team Liquid has completed three rounds of workforce reductions in about a year. The cuts affected an estimated 10% of its global workforce of roughly 300 people, or about 20 to 30 positions.

Campos described the restructuring as an effort to adjust the organisation’s operating model to changes in esports audiences, investment and commercial activity. Team Liquid reviewed its partnership structure, client work and workload, while managing employee departures with what Campos described as empathy.

“Any changes to the team are not about losing this or losing that. They are really about planning with a strategic vision for the future,” Campos said.

Brazil remains a market for Team Liquid’s fans, commercial activity and player development. The organisation has previously fielded Brazilian Counter-Strike players, including Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo in 2021. Its Brazil-based competitors include teams and players in VALORANT Game Changers, Rainbow Six Siege, Crossfire, Fortnite and EA FC.

Paulo Neto represented Team Liquid at the 2026 Esports World Cup. The organisation also has to maintain ties with Brazilian fans when its major teams compete abroad without Brazilian players.

“The big challenge we are working on is how to show that you can be a Brazilian fan and there is a home for you here at Liquid, even when the team plays abroad,” Campos said.

Team Liquid’s 14-storey facility in São Paulo is part of that local operation. The building contains a shop, event space, training areas, production studios, streaming facilities, dormitories and a cafeteria. It has hosted publisher activities, bootcamps, content productions and events involving companies including Blizzard, Epic Games, Disney and Netflix.

Vivo Keyd Stars currently uses the building’s second floor. Isurus previously occupied another floor.

The Honda partnership ended after a Team Liquid player published a social media post during a competition in Rio de Janeiro. The post referred to the team “exploding” after a loss and used imagery linked to the atomic bombings of Japan. The opposing team, CAG Osaka, was Japanese.

The player deleted the post after the issue was identified. Team Liquid’s Brazilian operation found it through social media monitoring and an internal Slack channel. Competitive staff also spoke with the player.

Campos was responsible for partnerships and sales in Brazil at the time. She explained that Team Liquid contacted Honda proactively, describing the incident, the player’s response and the organisation’s internal measures. The existing agreement was nearing its end, and both companies had been discussing a renewal. Six days after the controversy, Honda informed Team Liquid that it would not pursue a new deal.

After the incident, Team Liquid introduced workshops for staff, players and influencers. The sessions covered social media conduct, public behaviour and communication after difficult matches. The organisation also issued guidance on phone use and public statements after competitions.

Campos pointed to internal surveys indicating that the incident did not continue to define the culture of the Brazilian operation. The organisation focused on preparing its representatives and improving communication after competitions.

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Reviewed and fact-checked by Alex Panasenko on November 4.