Liquid have captured the iBUYPOWER Masters FML 2026 championship, completing an unblemished tournament run at the $30,000 LAN competition with a decisive 2-0 triumph over Wildcard in the championship match.
This victory represents Liquid's first offline tournament win since their 2022 success at the IEM Road to Rio qualifier on LAN. More significantly, it marks their first trophy since 2019, when they dominated the scene with an incredible streak of five consecutive tier one LAN championships.
Liquid's path through the bracket was nearly flawless. They breezed past Chicken Coop and NRG during the group stage with minimal resistance. The only genuine challenge came from M80 in the opening map of the semi-finals, which proved to be the closest contest Liquid faced throughout the entire competition.
The grand final followed a similar pattern of dominance. Liquid established control early with a commanding Counter-Terrorist performance on Inferno, securing a comfortable 1-0 series advantage before closing out the championship on Anubis.
Mario "malbsMd" Samayoa emerged as the tournament's breakout performer, topping the statistical charts with an exceptional 1.44 rating across eight maps. The squad's depth was evident as Georgi "Jorko" Mitev, Keith "NAF" Markovic, and Jonathan "EliGE" Jablonowski all ranked among the event's top five players by rating.
This championship propels Liquid forward in their campaign to qualify for the PGL Singapore Major. Meanwhile, Wildcard's runner-up finish also advances their qualification prospects, though their path remains more challenging.
