Team Liquid have found their new mid laner. The Western European Dota 2 organization signed former Team Falcons player Stanislav "Malr1ne" Potorak to complete its roster for the 2026-2027 season, filling the vacancy left by Michał "Nisha" Jankowski, who took a break from competitive play in late September.
The signing ends a period of uncertainty for Liquid. After a season that ended in a fifth-to-sixth place finish at The International (TI) 2026, the team rebuilt its lineup, and Nisha's departure left the most important position on the roster open.
A free agent lands at the right moment
Malr1ne became a free agent in early September, when Falcons announced they were leaving the competitive Dota 2 scene. He will now take over Nisha's role in Liquid's lineup, and Liquid will debut the full roster at PARI Universe, an online Tier 1 tournament running from 22 October to 1 November.
The mid lane was a particular concern after Nisha's exit. He was a perennial candidate for the title of best mid laner in the world and played a pivotal part in Liquid's run to the TI 2024 championship. Replacing a player of that standing was never going to be straightforward, and there were concerns that Liquid would struggle to find a suitable successor.
Malr1ne is arguably one of the few players in the scene who can match Nisha's impact, and his résumé supports that.
Over almost three years with Falcons, the roster he played in won 523 of its 799 games together, a 65.46% win rate. That made it the most successful five-man roster in the history of Dota 2 esports. Malr1ne also helped Falcons win TI 2025, alongside eight other Tier 1 tournament victories.
What Liquid are working with
Liquid's 2025-2026 season brought mixed results. The team won two Tier 1 events, BLAST Slam VI in February and 1win Essence II in early August, but the TI 2026 result was a disappointment given those titles. The first move of the rebuild was signing Adrian "Wisper" Cespedes Dobles as offlaner, replacing Marcus "Ace" Hoelgaard.
Malr1ne's arrival completes the lineup:
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Micke "miCKe" Vu | Player |
| Stanislav "Malr1ne" Potorak | Mid lane |
| Adrian "Wisper" Cespedes Dobles | Offlane |
| Samuel "Boxi" Svahn | Player |
| Erik "tOfu" Engel | Player |
| William "BlitZ" Lee | Coach |
What it means for Liquid
On paper, Liquid have swapped one elite mid laner for another, with a title winner joining at the position where the team was most exposed. Malr1ne arrives with a TI 2025 trophy and a long record of Tier 1 success, though this is a new team environment with a new offlaner alongside him, and there is no information yet on how the roster will fit together.
Liquid's first test as a complete unit comes at PARI Universe, where the full five-man lineup with Malr1ne makes its debut between 22 October and 1 November. The signing is also the latest major development in the ongoing post-TI 2026 roster shuffle, which continues to reshape the competitive Dota 2 landscape for the 2026-2027 season.
Dota 2
Team Liquid
