Aleks "Rainwaker" Petrov and Robert "Patsi" Isyanov's formal signings by Liquid

Aleks "Rainwaker" Petrov and Robert "Patsi" Isyanov's formal signings by Liquid on Thursday generated headlines and signalled a dramatic shift away from their longtime North American core. With this strategy shift came Jonathan "EliGE" Jablonowski's resignation, which removed a component that had been essential to the company's corporate identification for many years. 

The spectacular career of the 25-year-old player in the squad spanned more than eight years and featured noteworthy accomplishments including winning the Intel Grand Slam in just 63 days, being named among HLTV's top 20 players of the year five times, and emerging as the team's face as a consequence. The loss of a franchise player has diminished a key component of Liquid's reputation as the unmatched North American powerhouse, and the fact that their team now flies the European flag makes this change all the more visible.