Blitz compares Team Liquid playoff entry at TI 2026 to their TI13 victory

Blitz compares Team Liquid playoff entry at TI 2026 to their TI13 victory

Coach Team Liquid , William "Blitz" Lee, shared his emotions after the team's advancement to the playoffs of The International 2026. According to him, the feeling of reaching the next stage reminded him of Liquid's victory at TI13. The coach also explained why teams should not take their place among the leaders for granted after major successes. Blitz also commented on the tournament's meta, noting that it encourages unconventional decisions.

On Team Liquid 's Advancement to the Playoffs
Team Liquid finished the group stage with a 4:1 record, directly securing a spot in the playoffs. Blitz confessed that he felt primarily relieved after this, comparing the moment to the emotions following their championship at The International.

It's simply incredible. The feeling is very similar to when we won TI. A huge relief, a sea of emotions. When you see so many teams here, you start to understand that you can't take such a result for granted. It's always very difficult to even reach this stage.

Blitz added that previous achievements might give players the impression that their place among the best is already theirs. According to the coach, after every success, the team has to prove their level all over again.

In this discipline, people tend to take success for granted. You look at talented players around and start thinking: "Of course, we deserve to be a top-tier team." It quickly feels like everyone should just let you through, but in reality, that doesn't happen. There will always be a team that wants to win more, and you need to earn your place again.

The coach also noted that this problem is particularly noticeable after winning The International. He mentioned that the feeling of superiority can quickly disappear by the next tournament, so past results do not guarantee future success.

On the Meta of The International 2026

Speaking about the group stage, Blitz highlighted Lina among the heroes he considers particularly strong in the current version of the game. He also pointed out the growing popularity of Nature's Prophet and the differences in approaches among offlaners from various teams.

Some heroes, in my opinion, are clearly unbalanced — like Lina. Nature's Prophet and other similar heroes are gaining popularity now. I think this TI is different in that every offlaner has their preferences. The meta really encourages creativity.

As examples, the coach mentioned Nigma Galaxy and LGD Gaming . Blitz believes that these teams' willingness to deviate from standard solutions helped them improve their results during the group stage.

I think it's one of the reasons why Nigma Galaxy and LGD Gaming , who didn't look very good on the first day, started to succeed. They are ready to be creative and do unusual things to gain an extra advantage.

Team Liquid advanced directly to the playoffs of The International 2026 along with PARIVISION and Nigma Galaxy . The main stage of the tournament will take place from August 20 to 23.