Team Liquid parts ways with Ace — ATF rumored as offlane replacement

Team Liquid has officially parted ways with Marcus 'Ace' Hoelgaard after one year, opening the door for a significant offlane (position 3) change for the upcoming season. According to sources from Cyberscore, young Jordanian talent Ammar 'ATF' Al-Assaf is being contacted to replace Ace in Liquid's roster. Ace joined Liquid in October 2026 alongside tOfu, amid turmoil at Gaimin Gladiators. In his year with Liquid, he achieved a relatively trophy-winning season — the team won BLAST Slam VI and 1win Series Essence II, while finishing top 4 at FISSURE Playground 2, PGL Wallachia Season 6, 7, 8, and DreamLeague Season 28. However, performance at The International 2026 (TI 2026) hosted in Shanghai was the notable highlight. Liquid arrived in Shanghai as heavy contenders after defeating Falcons 3-0 in the 1win Essence final. But expectations were overturned as the team was eliminated in the lower bracket quarterfinals with a 0-2 score against Team Spirit — who later became TI 2026 champions. This result placed Liquid at 5th-6th overall, a modest position compared to the team that won TI 2026. The decision to part ways with Ace comes as the team announces it will 'reshape' for the next season, in line with the direction of an organization that previously lifted the Aegis. This is not a 'complete overhaul' targeting crisis, but a 'streamlining adjustment' to upgrade the roster from contender to champion level. ATF, 23, from Jordan, is one of the most promising young offlaners from the MENA region. He previously played for Team Falcons before the team announced a complete roster dissolution after the 2026 season. In a recent interview with KheZu, ATF shared about his decision to leave Falcons: 'I need about six months to a year to be alongside new teammates. I want a completely new environment.' Falcons' dissolution means the entire core roster — including ATF and other MENA talents like Malr1ne — became free agents simultaneously. This is a major shock in the Dota 2 transfer market, creating intense competition among top organizations to sign these newly liberated MENA stars. Regarding contracts, Ace leaves Liquid as a free agent with no buyout or release fee publicly announced. ATF, after Falcons' dissolution, is in a similar situation. This makes the deal a free-agent swap — no transfer fees incurred from either side. Liquid has not officially confirmed ATF as a new signing. This remains rumored information awaiting the organization's official announcement. However, if the deal materializes, it would be one of the most notable moves in the Dota 2 market post-TI 2026. From a tactical perspective, this is a same-role replacement (offlaner for offlaner), not a roster architecture change. Liquid is not seeking a new system, but hunting a different version of position 3. Ace is an offlaner who has proven his abilities through trophies, but the team expects ATF — younger and without an extensive track record — may bring advantages in playstyle, tempo, or initiation that better suits the new season's direction. The Ace-tOfu connection — both from Gaimin Gladiators — is a latent variable. With Ace leaving, tOfu remains, but the dissolution of this duo could affect the locker room environment. Whether tOfu continues or also enters the transfer list will be information requiring close monitoring. In the broader market, the Falcons dissolution wave has created a significant power rebalance in Dota 2. Team Spirit just won TI 2026, affirming Eastern Europe's strength. The MENA region is witnessing a continuous talent flow into Western organizations, and ATF joining Liquid would be the latest confirmation of this trend. From a financial perspective, this deal shows no crisis signals. Both Ace and ATF are free agents, meaning Liquid pays no transfer fee. However, multiple teams pursuing Falcons personnel could push ATF's salary above normal market rates — though no specific figures have been announced. Whether successful or not, this move reflects a reality in modern Dota 2: the season ends with large-scale roster upheaval, and organizations wanting to return to the top must act quickly within the narrow transfer window. Liquid has started, with the rest of the market watching.