After four long years without a tournament win, Team Liquid finally took a step onto the top step of the podium after claiming victory in Elite League Season Two in Peru. The victory couldn’t have come at a better time, as Liquid prepare for The International, which is just a few weeks away.

While it was classified as a tier two tournament and didn’t feature heavyweight Dota teams Gaimin Gladiators or this year’s frontrunners Team Falcons, try telling that to Liquid, who took home the trophy on Sunday after defeating 1win 3-2 in the finals. Both teams traded victories back and forth in the best-of-five, but it was lower-bracket Liquid, led by a 14-kill effort from mid laner Nisha, who ultimately emerged victorious.

Insania and Nisha were all cheers in their post-match interviews in front of a packed Centro de Convenciones after the win. TL has come oh-so-close to glory in recent years; the team closed out 2022 with a third-place finish at TI Singapore, then three straight Grand Finals, losing all to Gaimin Gladiators. As the Gaimin era drew to a close after TI 2023, another challenger emerged in the form of Falcons. Liquid were unable to capitalize on this.

We have to go back to ESL One Germany for the team’s last victory, which took place on Natus Vincere and was held online during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Before that digital triumph, Liquid’s last offline victory came five years ago at MDL Macau, against Evil Geniuses. Only two members of that winning team, Boxi and Insania, remain from that winning team, now part of the longest-running core in Dota history.