Report: Liquid secure Rainwaker

Sources have told Dust2.us and HLTV that Liquid have finalized the signing of Bulgarian rifler Aleks "Rainwaker" Petrov, who will be joining as the newest member of the organization. Two days ago, Dust2.us reported that Rainwaker, alongside Robert "Patsi" Isyanov, were being targeted by the squad as they prepared to part ways with long-time talisman Jonathan "EliGE" Jablonowski as part of a move to Europe.

Those same sources now confirm that Rainwaker has officially signed his contract with the organization and is set to be announced soon. At the same time, negotiations with Patsi have continued to lag, with unspecified issues holding up the contract at this time. However, it is believed that both parties remain intent on working together, and barring a last-minute collapse, the Russian will become part of the team.

Dust2.us is also aware that Rainwaker is considered to be the replacement for Nick "nitr0" Cannella, not EliGE. The organization had targeted the Bulgarian to be a more passive player, one that could fit nitr0's roles. The removal of EliGE hinges on the arrival of Patsi, which continues to move forward at this time.

The potential addition of Rainwaker stunned fans, many of whom had little to no information about the player. The 22-year-old player from 500 has not had much experience at the top flight, with his only notable prior experience being a three-year stint on SKADE from 2019 through to 2022. Over the last six months, the young rifler has proved himself ample enough to play against more experienced competition by posting a 1.17 HLTV Rating, a 1.15 Impact Rating, and a 85.4 ADR in all competitions.

With the signing of Rainmaker and the expected completion of the Patsi deal, this move will finally see Liquid officially moving away from the North American region after eight strong years. The arrival of Counter-Strike 2 in the next few months will define a new era for the Dutch-American organization, one that has not been afraid of bringing in international talent throughout its years in the title. However, now the organization will have to fight in the highly competitive European RMR, a place that gives no guarantees for the Major.

This new reality would see Liquid transition to an EU-centric roster consisting of:

• Keith "NAF" Markovic

• Josh "oSee" Ohm

• Mareks "YEKINDAR" Gaļinskis

• Aleks "Rainwaker" Petrov

• Robert "Patsi" Isyanov

• Damian "daps" Steele (Coach)