Ace Leaves Team Liquid After One Year With the Organization

Danish offlaner Marcus “Ace” Hoelgaard has left Team Liquid’s Dota 2 roster after almost one year with the organization. The roster change was reported on September 13, marking another major move in the post-The International 2026 reshuffle.

Ace joined Team Liquid in October 2025 alongside Erik “tOfu” Engel after leaving Gaimin Gladiators. The two players replaced Jonáš “SabeRLight-” Volek and retiring captain Aydin “iNSaNiA” Sarkohi as Liquid rebuilt its lineup following the 2025 season.

Ace's Time at Team Liquid

Ace spent roughly 11 months representing Team Liquid and became an important part of the team's offlane. His arrival was expected to help Liquid remain among the strongest teams in Western Europe after the organization made significant changes to its roster.

The new lineup needed some time to find consistency, but Liquid eventually achieved one of its biggest successes of the 2026 season. In February, the team won BLAST Slam VI, defeating Natus Vincere 3-1 in the grand final. The victory earned Liquid a $400,000 share of the tournament's total prize pool.

Liquid also reached the grand final of PGL Wallachia Season 7, where the team finished second after losing to Team Yandex. During the rest of the season, however, the roster struggled to maintain the same level of consistency. Liquid finished 9th-12th at the Esports World Cup 2026 before placing 5th-6th at The International 2026.

The International was the final major tournament of the season for the lineup featuring Ace. Before the event, Liquid's roster consisted of Ace, miCKe, Nisha, Boxi and tOfu.

Team Liquid Begins Another Roster Rebuild

Ace's departure continues a period of major changes across the Dota 2 scene following The International 2026. Team Liquid is now left with four players from its previous starting lineup: Michael “miCKe” Vu, Michał “Nisha” Jankowski, Samuel “Boxi” Svahn and Erik “tOfu” Engel.

The organization has not yet announced Ace's replacement. There have already been reports connecting Team Liquid with potential roster changes, including rumors about former Team Spirit coach Airat “Silent” Gaziev joining the organization, but no new player has been officially confirmed at the time of writing.

Ace's own plans for the next season have also not been announced. The Danish player is now one of the most experienced offlaners available during the post-TI roster shuffle and is expected to attract interest from other top-level teams.

For Team Liquid, the departure means another rebuild only a year after the organization brought Ace and tOfu into the lineup. The team will now have to find a new offlaner before returning to competition in the upcoming Dota 2 season.