Nitr0 Set to Bid Farewell to Team Liquid Following IEM Dallas

Nicholas “nitr0” Cannella will leave Team Liquid after the IEM Dallas 2023, but he is yet to take a decision about his future

In a recent announcement, Nick “⁠nitr0⁠” Cannella revealed that he is stepping down from Team Liquid’s active roster after the IEM Dallas 2023, citing a busy travel schedule as the primary reason. The former Intel Grand Slam champion has not decided on his next career move. 

My next chapter! pic.twitter.com/ab54BByWtE

— Nick Cannella (@nitr0) May 26, 2023

“I have been traveling constantly for 8-9 years and it has been amazing, but I am at a different stage in my life now with a growing family,” nitr0 wrote in his announcement. “While I highly enjoy competing and would love to continue playing competitively, the amount of travel has become too much, so I have decided to step down with IEM Dallas being my last tournament in CS:GO.”

“I don’t know what the next chapter of my life will hold, but in the near future, I plan to begin streaming & see where it takes me.”

The 27-year-old made his announcement after experiencing a series of highs and lows at the recently-concluded Paris Major 2023 with Team Liquid. Overcoming a disappointing 0-2 start in the Challengers Stage, the team showed resilience and fought their way to the quarter-finals. Their progress, however, was cut short as they were unexpectedly defeated by Apeks.

Halfway through the tournament, the Liquid camp revealed that Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis will take over the in-game leader role from nitr0 on some maps. The reason behind this change was nitr0’s partial absence from the team’s boot camp leading up to the Paris Major, as he was celebrating the birth of his second child.

The American rifler announces his departure from Team Liquid after a year-and-a-half stint. His return to the team in early 2022 marked the beginning of a significant roster overhaul, which also saw the inclusion of Richard “⁠shox⁠” Papillon and Josh “⁠oSee⁠” Ohm.

The early months were challenging for the team as they grappled with disappointing results. A turning point, however, came midway through the year with the arrival of YEKINDAR. Afterward, they embarked on an impressive journey, securing remarkable achievements such as being runners-up at ESL Pro League Season 16 and BLAST Premier World Final, as well as securing top-four placements at the BLAST Premier Fall Final and IEM Katowice.

Liquid Present Roster 

• Jonathan “⁠EliGE⁠” Jablonowski
• Keith “⁠NAF⁠” Markovic
• Josh “⁠oSee⁠” Ohm
• Mareks “⁠YEKINDAR⁠” Gaļinskis

• Damian “⁠daps⁠” Steele (coach)

• Nick “⁠nitr0⁠” Cannella (about to step down)