The American player Jimmy 'DeMoN' Ho is a free agent once again, as Team Liquid announced his departure today. His contract expires with the end of July, and the two sides have mutually decided not to continue their partnership.
The history repeats itself, as Team Liquid will go through yet another roster change right after the conclusion of The International. This year, it is Jimmy 'DeMoN' Ho who decided to leave the American team, following their 9th place in TI4. Ho is now teamless once again, after his exit from the third team in 2014 (the first two being MVP.Phoenix and Team DOG, now Mousesports).
Victor 'Nazgul' Goossens, Team Liquid's representative, stated that the organization is quite satisfied with DeMoN's performance during his short period with them. However, internal turmoil is currently tantalizing the team, caused by their premature elimination from The International 4 and their loss against LGD that cost them over $450,000. Since DeMoN's contract is about to expire, the organization has decided to part ways with the player, in an attempt to reforge their roster.
No information is available about the future of Team Liquid or DeMoN. With the post-TI4 team shuffle currently under way, it is safe to assume that DeMoN will receive several proposals to join a new team and get back in action as soon as more tournaments begin.
Nazgul's announcement:
First, I want to say that I'm proud of what all the members of Liquid accomplished at The International 4. Going into the tournament, few expected our guys to perform anywhere near as well as they did. Our road to TI4 was tough, but we walked it nonetheless. The guys played their hearts out and surprised Dota2 fans around the world with wins over many tournament favorites, including the eventual champions. After all the hardships, I am very happy that the guys could prove themselves against the very best in the world.
While I'm very proud of Liquid, there is also a sadness that comes with finishing 9th. Just one more win, and the guys could won the honor of playing in the main event at the Key Arena in front of thousands of fans. Needless to say, missing out on a $470,000 prize money jump hurts as well. However, all of that does not change the fact that what our players achieved at The International was nothing short of amazing, and will be remembered forever as a part of our legacy in Dota 2.
If you look at where Liquid was before Jimmy joined and compare it to our performance at TI4 with him on the team, the difference is astounding. Of course, Liquid's improvement was a team effort, but it is unquestionable that Jimmy's role was incredibly important. He was a breath of fresh air, an injection of unpredictable energy that we desperately needed. Though Jimmy sometimes landed himself in trouble due to his adventurous nature, his exciting offlane play was a key part of our success at TI4.
As with most pro-teams during the post-TI4 shuffle, Liquid is currently in a state of flux. We are thinking about what direction the team should take going forward, and many things remain undecided. The only certain thing for now is that, as Jimmy signed on for a short term deal till the end of July, our contract with Jimmy will end in a few days. For now, we must bid him farewell.
I don't know what the future holds for Liquid or DeMoN, but I do know that it was a pleasure working together. Thank you, Jimmy, and I wish you the best of luck in your career.
Finally, I want to thank all of our fans that kept supporting us throughout the tough months leading up to TI4 and even before. Our results hadn't been good for some time and our internal issues were out in the open for everyone to follow. Hopefully, our performance at TI4 made up for the rough patch beforehand, and made Liquid fans proud to be supporters of our team.
DeMoN's statement on the situation:
I would like to thank Team Liquid’s management and the rest of the squad for trusting me as a player and giving me this opportunity. Both the team and I were at a crossroads when I joined, and I think that everyone involved benefited from this collaboration. The roster is made up of fantastic players, some of whom I consider close friends, but I feel I need to seek new challenges to grow both stronger as a player and a person. I have genuinely enjoyed this small journey we’ve had with one another.
Thank you guys, again.
