Coach's Comeback: Damian 'daps' Steele Returns to Liquid's CS:GO Lineup After 18-Month Hiatus

The Canadian coach is set to make a triumphant return to the competitive CS:GO scene after an absence of 18 months.

Liquid has officially announced that Damian "⁠daps⁠" Steele will be stepping in to replace Robert "⁠Patsi⁠" Isyanov for their opening match in ESL Pro League Season 18 against Virtus.pro. This confirmation aligns with an earlier report from Dust2.us. Additionally, Liquid has hinted that Patsi is expected to rejoin the team for their subsequent matches in Malta, contingent upon resolving certain external factors.

Patsi's absence for Liquid's initial match is attributed to visa complications. The Russian rifler encountered travel restrictions to Malta due to prolonged delays in acquiring a US visa.

Despite his extended hiatus from active play, daps brings a wealth of experience to the team. The 30-year-old has participated in two Majors and is perhaps best known for his tenure as the in-game leader (IGL) of NRG, during which he secured victories at cs_summit 3 and IEM Shanghai 2018.

Liquid's lineup for the match against Virtus.pro will feature the following roster:

• Canada: Keith "⁠NAF⁠" Markovic
• United States: Josh "⁠oSee⁠" Ohm
• Latvia: Mareks "⁠YEKINDAR⁠" Gaļinskis
• Bulgaria: Aleks "⁠Rainwaker⁠" Petrov
• Canada: Damian "⁠daps⁠" Steele