Team Liquid is the first to be eliminated from First Stand 2025, calling to question whether North America (NA) is falling behind in the League of Legends esports scene.
Despite community sentiments, Sean ‘Yeon’ Sung is adamant that their performance doesn’t reflect ‘how strong of a region North America is,’ as he told to Esports Insider in a post-match interview.
Viewership is not the only upset in the tournament so far. Team Liquid’s First Stand journey abruptly ended in the Round Robin Stage with one win and three consecutive losses.
These were the match results involving Team Liquid:
- March 10: Team Liquid 2-1 Karmine Corp
- March 11: Team Liquid 0-2 Top Esports
- March 13: Team liquid 0-2 CBTC Flying Oyster
- March 14: Team liquid 1-2 Hanwha Life Esports
Team Liquid is one of the most well-known esports rosters in the NA League of Legends scene. Their upset loss in First Stand has left fans questioning if the region is biting the dust.
In an interview with Esports Insider, Yeon said: “To be honest I don’t think that it shows how strong of a region North America is. I think that this time around, we just fell short in every series that we played. I think it was very lacklustre and we were not actively trying to win.”
First Stand also saw the implementation of the Fearless Draft format where teams cannot pick a champion they’ve already played in a series.
When asked if the new rules affected their chances at success, Yeon said: “To an extent, but I don’t think that was the reason why we didn’t show up to this event.”
Team Liquid’s First Stand Exit Casts Doubt Among NA Fans
These are the placements heading into the Knockout Stages of First Stand:
- 1. Hanwha Life Esports
- 2. CBTC Flying Oyster
- 3. Karmine Corp
- 4. Top Esports
- 5. Team Liquid (Eliminated)
Chinese team Top Esports managed to steal fourth place from Team Liquid, rubbing salt in the wound that was the March 11th match results.
French esports organisation Karmine Corp initially lost to Team Liquid in the First Stand opening match but clawed its way to third place following several clutch victories.
Second place is held by Taiwanese team CBTC Flying Oyster, perceived to be the only competitor to the current favourites to win, Korea’s Hanwha Life Esports.
Yeon said that despite the results of today, NA still remains in a strong position compared to its international competitors.
“I do think our top three teams, even top four teams, are very good,” he said, “Any one of them could have been here today. I think that if they were here, they wouldn’t have played as bad as us.
“I think we just failed to show our A-game, and underperformed, but I don’t think the region is that much weaker. I will say, we have fewer players than like, per se, Europe, but I don’t think our top four teams are lacking in comparison to their top four teams.”
Over the past six months, North American teams have faced challenges in the international League of Legends esports scene.
Things were looking up for Team Liquid after beating 100 Thieves in LTA 2025 Cross Conference. However at the 2024 League of Legends World Championship, FlyQuest and Team Liquid, representing NA, both started in the Swiss stage but were unable to progress to the knockout rounds.
Team Liquid’s First Stand exit adds to NA’s global struggles with one of the top esports games of 2025, leaving fans wondering when the West will finally claim victory.
