JT Delivers on Debut: Liquid Sweep Vitality 2-0 at BLAST Bounty
Liquid (#31) swept Vitality (#2) in captain JT's first match: Anubis 13-10, Nuke 13-9. EliGE dropped 42 frags at a 1.52 rating. Upset breakdown.
On July 24, the rebuilt Team Liquid played their first match under Johnny "JT" Theodosiou — and immediately produced the biggest upset of the final day of BLAST Bounty Season 2's opening stage. The world's #31 team swept #2 — Vitality — 2-0. The same Vitality that Liquid picked for themselves at the draft.
How it happened: Anubis 13-10, Nuke 13-9
Liquid had the first map pick and went with Anubis. The half ended level at 6-6, but in the second half JT's side showed one of their best T-sides in a long while: after dropping the pistol and the follow-up, Liquid conceded just two more rounds and closed the map 13-10.
Vitality took the series to their own pick — Nuke. Liquid went into the break up 7-5, briefly lost the initiative after the side swap (8-9), then broke the game open on the opponent's strong side: a weak-buy round won on the back of three EliGE frags opened a five-round streak — 13-9. Opponent's pick stolen, series 2-0.
EliGE's 42 frags at 1.52: the reunited duo's best match
The series stats read like a manifesto for Liquid's new project. EliGE put up 42 frags (a match high), went +15 and posted a 1.52 rating at 93 ADR. Seventeen-year-old sniper Jorko added 1.24, malbsMd 1.12. JT himself finished his debut at a steady 1.04 — an excellent number for an in-game leader who took charge of the team two days before the match.
For Vitality, only flameZ showed up (1.29). ZywOo finished the series at 26-27 (1.05 rating), while the leadership pairing collapsed: apEX at 0.73, mezii at 0.63.
Why this is bigger than one match
Context makes the result louder than the scoreline. JT officially took over Liquid only on July 22 — two days before the match. At the Bounty draft the team deliberately went after an opponent carrying one of the tournament's biggest bounties — and per the format's rules collected half of Vitality's bounty in cash, adding the other half to their own and becoming a fatter target themselves.
For Vitality it's the second warning sign of the season: after losing the #1 ranking in June, apEX's side now exits a tournament in the very first round — to the world's #31.
The stage that culled the giants
Liquid's upset capped an opening stage that will go down in the format's history: the same day FURIA fell 2-1 to DENDELE, a day earlier Spirit barely survived OG (2-1), and two days before that Major champions Falcons lost to 100 Thieves. The Round of 16, running July 25–26, begins without Vitality, FURIA, Falcons and Aurora.
The live bracket with all results is in our BLAST Bounty Season 2 coverage, and every summer roster move is in the transfer feed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the score of Liquid vs Vitality?
2-0 — Anubis 13-10 and Nuke 13-9. The match was played on July 24, 2026, on the final day of BLAST Bounty Season 2's opening stage.
Who was the best player of the match?
EliGE: a match-high 42 frags, +15 differential, 1.52 rating. flameZ was Vitality's best at 1.29.
What's next for Liquid at BLAST Bounty?
The Round of 16, played July 25–26. By collecting Vitality's bounty, Liquid also grew their own reward — making themselves a more valuable target.
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