Team Liquid just signed a 17-year-old Bulgarian AWPer named Georgi “Jorko” Mitev to its Counter-Strike roster, replacing Roland “ultimate” Tomkowiak after a rough stretch of competitive results. Team Liquid isn’t just any esports org, it’s one with deepening roots in the Sui blockchain ecosystem, and that intersection is where things get interesting for crypto watchers.
The signing, announced on July 9, 2026, comes during a year that’s been, charitably, a struggle for Liquid’s CS squad. The team barely scraped into IEM Cologne Major 2026 qualification and was promptly eliminated in Stage 1. Ultimate had been on the roster for two years before getting benched. Jorko, meanwhile, carries a 1.07 rating from his time with FOKUS and was ranked the 28th top prospect by HLTV. Born on December 11, 2008, he’s younger than some of the peripherals his new teammates use.
Why crypto investors should care about an esports roster move
The org established a multi-year partnership with Mysten Labs, the company behind the Sui blockchain, back in February 2024. Since then, Liquid has built out two key products: Liquid Vault, a digital collectibles platform, and MyBlue, a fan engagement system. The results have been tangible. Fan engagement jumped 37% following the integration.
