Malr1ne kicks off Team Liquid Dota 2 stint with a series victory over 1w

Stanislav “Malr1ne” Potorak is off to a great start in his first series as a Team Liquid player after defeating 1w Team in a convincing 2-0 on the first day of the group stage of PARI Universe.

With the current record of 2-0, Team Liquid leads Group A of the tournament together with Team Yandex after the latter also secured a commanding series against GamerLegion.

In Group B, CIS powerhouses PARIVISION and Team Spirit are also vying for the top two spots. With teams needing to avoid last place in their respective groups to advance to the playoffs, every series will become increasingly important as the group stage progresses.

Malr1ne and Team Liquid vs. 1w Team at PARI Universe Day 1

Malr1ne’s debut presents a challenging matchup for Team Liquid as the roster continues to adjust to their new position 2 player. Meanwhile, although 1w Team has struggled to secure strong finishes in recent tournaments, the squad remains a threat under the leadership of Neta “33” Shapira, a two-time TI champion and one of the best offlaners in Dota 2.

The first game of Team Liquid vs. 1w Team became a highly unpredictable 77-minute game. Despite 1w Team gaining the upper hand in several teamfights with crowd-control heroes like Earth Spirit and Dark Seer, they repeatedly failed to break through Team Liquid’s high-ground defenses.

There were even moments in Game 1 when 1w Team’s carry, Ivan “Pure” Moskalenko, had an Aegis of the Immortal. However, Team Liquid’s offlaner, Adrián “Wisper” Dobles, managed to trap Pure with Mars ultimate, giving Malr1ne’s Earthshaker and Michael “miCKe” Vu’s Windranger enough time to bring him down.

With the help of Wind Waker saving miCKe at the right moments and Malr1ne Echo Slamming at the right moments, Team Liquid eventually emerged as the winners in Game 1.

Game 2 became much of a lesser challenge for Team Liquid, as 1w Team loses the side lanes in the first few minutes, forcing their midlaner to rotate and leave Malr1ne alone to farm. This allowed Malr1ne, still playing his Earthshaker, to get Dagger and Boots of Travel in as early as the 15th minute mark of the game.

After securing his core items, Malr1ne began joining teamfights across the map. With Earthshaker’s powerful disables and chasing abilities, Team Liquid shut down 1w Team’s farm and gold progression, eventually closing out the game in just under 30 minutes.

Teams to put Malr1ne’s Team Liquid debut to the test

After besting 1w Team, Team Liquid is scheduled to take on GamerLegion on October 23, 2026, at 1:00 PM CEST. GamerLegion will be looking to secure its first group stage win, while Team Liquid aims to maintain its momentum. Team Liquid’s other upcoming matches are as follows:

• Team Liquid vs. OG: October 25, 2026 (10:00 AM CEST)
• Team Liquid vs. Team Yandex: October 26, 2026 (12:00 PM CEST)

One of the most anticipated matchups of the PARI Universe tournament is Team Liquid vs. Team Yandex, as Malr1ne could compete against his former Team Falcons offlaner, Ammar “ATF” Al-Assaf. However, ATF will miss a couple games due to illness, prompting Team Yandex to bring in Andreas “Xibbe” Ragnemalm as a stand-in.

Hopefully, ATF recovers in time for the series, allowing viewers to witness a showdown between the two former teammates, especially after ATF recently expressed his desire to go up against Malr1ne.