Team Liquid’s VALORANT team have started to prepare for the nearest future by offering one of its crucial players an extension even as they are looking to close out the 2023 season with both a domestic and international trophy at Champions.
A three-year contract extension has been given to Elias “Jamppi” Olkkonen at Team Liquid, locking him down through the 2026 season except in case of release or trade. Before now, Jamppi’s contract was supposed to elapse at the end of the season.
This means that two players, both Jamppi and nAts, have signed similar deals with Liquid through 2026. Similarly, Primary duelist Sayf has a deal until 2025, while both Redgar and Soulcas signed through 2024.
Although, Team Liquid are yet to get their hands on an international VALORANT trophy, although on an individual level, nAts and Redgar won the Masters Berlin when they were on Gambit. However, Team Liquid won the first VCT EMEA season trophy this year, with Jamppi arguably the second-best initiator player in EMEA behind MVP candidate Leo from Fnatic.
However, in the grand finals of the EMEA playoffs, Team Liquid beat Fnatic in what has incidentally been Fnatic’s only series loss this entire year. Meanwhile, Jamppi has been fully utilizing his agent pool with both Neon and a Chamber in the opening match against Natus Vincere at Champions. The game ended in a close two-map series loss.
Liquid and NAVI were both placed in “Group of Death,” which also featured both LOUD and DRX. Team Liquid and Jamppi will have to win a must-win series against the reigning world champions in LOUD on Thursday, Aug. 10, at 2pm CT to stand a chance at a world championship this year.
DRX are firmly back on the international VALORANT stage and have become the first team to make it out of the group stage at Champions in Los Angeles.
Daniel Ademiju Idowu
