Liquid swap AWPers: Jorko in, ultimate benched
Team Liquid have swapped AWPers: 22-year-old ultimate is benched and 17-year-old Jorko arrives from FOKUS. Here's the new roster and the reasoning.
On July 9, 2026 Team Liquid swapped their sniper. 22-year-old Pole Roland "ultimate" Tomkowiak was moved to the bench, and 17-year-old Bulgarian Georgi "Jorko" Mitev arrived from FOKUS to take the AWP role. It's one connected decision: HLTV explicitly names Jorko as ultimate's replacement. Liquid sit 25th in the world ranking.
What happened
Both announcements dropped on July 9 and describe a single roster move — an AWP swap. ultimate was moved to the bench: formally he stays in the organization but loses his starting spot. HLTV doesn't disclose the exact contractual status (whether the deal was terminated).
Who is Jorko
Georgi "Jorko" Mitev is a 17-year-old AWPer from Bulgaria. At FOKUS he spent around five months with a 1.07 average rating, won Urban Riga Open Season 3 and came close to a PGL Bucharest playoff spot. For Liquid it's a bet on a young sniper with a high ceiling — the fee and contract length weren't disclosed.
ultimate: two years at Liquid
Roland "ultimate" Tomkowiak joined Liquid in July 2024 and played 331 maps with a 1.02 average rating. In that time he played four Majors but never helped the team lift a trophy — his best run was a quarterfinal at the PW Major in Shanghai. That trophy drought is what pushed the org to change snipers.
Team Liquid roster (as of July 9, 2026)
| Player | Name | Country | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| NAF | Keith Markovic | Canada | rifler |
| EliGE | Jonathan Jablonowski | USA | rifler |
| malbsMd | Mario Samayoa | Guatemala | rifler |
| siuhy | Kamil Szkaradek | Poland | IGL |
| Jorko | Georgi Mitev | Bulgaria | AWPer |
The coach is Viktor "flashie" Tamás Bea (Hungary). ultimate stays on the bench.
Why Liquid did this
At 25th in the world, Liquid have long been stuck under a trophy ceiling: regular Major appearances without a championship. Betting on 17-year-old Jorko is an attempt to shake up the roster with young sniping blood. Fittingly, fnatic signed a 17-year-old the same day too — rifler mazay. The scene is clearly leaning on youth.
What's next
How well the swap works will show in the new lineup's first matches. Follow transfers and roster moves in the esport section.
Frequently asked questions
Who did Liquid sign?
17-year-old Bulgarian AWPer Georgi "Jorko" Mitev from FOKUS. He replaced ultimate in the AWP role; announced on July 9, 2026.
What happened to ultimate?
Roland "ultimate" Tomkowiak was moved to the bench. He formally stays in the organization but lost his starting spot.
What is the Liquid roster?
NAF, EliGE, malbsMd, siuhy and new signing Jorko; coached by flashie. ultimate is on the bench.
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