Team Liquid Dota 2 has parted ways with veteran offlaner Marcus “Ace” Hoelgaard after one year with the organization, with Ammar “ATF” Al-Assaf rumored to be considered as his replacement.
The org announced Ace’s departure on social media through a tribute video, thanking the Danish Dota 2 pro for his contributions throughout his time with the team.
“Today we say goodbye and thank you to Ace. A year full of nerdy theory crafting, more trophies to your cabinet, and unfair paddle games,” Team Liquid said.
“We appreciate you representing us so well the entire year,” the org added.
Today we say goodbye and thank you to @AceDota
— Team Liquid SAP | Dota (@teamliquiddota) September 13, 2026
A year full of nerdy theory crafting, more trophies to your cabinet, and unfair paddle games.
We appreciate you representing us so well the entire year 💙 pic.twitter.com/7sKm2ZvcAM
Team Liquid Dota 2 current roster:
- Michael “miCKe” Vu – Carry
- Michał “Nisha” Jankowski – Midlaner
- Samuel “Boxi” Svahn – Soft support
- Erik “tOfu” Engel – Hard support/Captain
- William “Blitz” Lee – Coach
Ace’s career with Team Liquid Dota 2
Ace joined Team Liquid back in October 2025 alongside his Gaimin Gladiators teammate tOfu following the controversy that plagued GG.
During his year with the squad, Ace won BLAST Slam VI and 1win Series Essence II. Team Liquid also secured top-four finishes at FISSURE Playground 2, PGL Wallachia Seasons 6, 7, and 8, and DreamLeague Season 28.
The team entered The International 2026 as one of the tournament’s heavy contenders after sweeping Team Falcons in the grand final of 1win Essence, the final tier-one tournament before the Dota 2 world championship in Shanghai.
However, Team Liquid’s TI 2026 campaign ended with a fifth-sixth-place finish after losing 0-2 to eventual champions Team Spirit in the lower bracket quarterfinals.
Ace now becomes a free agent following his departure from Liquid, while the TI 2024-winning organization looks to reshape its roster for the next competitive season.
ATF rumored as replacement offlaner
According to Cyberscore, Ammar “ATF” Al-Assaf is rumored to be Team Liquid’s next offlaner following Ace’s departure. ATF previously played for Team Falcons, which disbanded its roster and left the Dota 2 scene after the conclusion of the season.
The Jordanian pro had previously been linked to a move with former Falcons teammate Stanislav “Malr1ne” Potorak, who claimed that he would join the same team as ATF. However, ATF later suggested that the former Falcons players would not be teaming up again anytime soon.
In an interview with former professional player and analyst Maurice “KheZu” Gutmann, ATF explained that Team Falcons’ breakup was a complete split rather than a partial roster shuffle.
“It’s a full disband. We had some talks, like maybe this guy will play with this guy. Maybe I’ll play with Malr1ne… But then we decided, ‘No man, not even with you. I need from six months to one year.’ There’s so many bullsh*t, even between us two, who are so close,” ATF said.
If the rumors turn out to be true, ATF would join Team Liquid as the org prepares for its next chapter following a strong but ultimately unsuccessful TI 2026 campaign. At the time of writing, Liquid has yet to officially confirm its new offlaner.
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