Team Liquid Valorant promotes KicksVAL from academy team to main roster ahead of VCT EMEA Stage 2
The 20-year-old Estonian player earns his spot on the main squad as Team Liquid reshuffles for the next stage of competition
Team Liquid has officially moved Kimmie “Kicks” Laasner from its academy roster to the main VCT EMEA lineup, a promotion the organization described as “well-deserved.” The announcement, made on June 26, coincides with the return of trexxfps as the team gears up for VCT EMEA Stage 2.
Kicks is a 20-year-old Estonian player who joined Team Liquid’s academy squad (TL.A) back on January 8, 2026. In roughly six months, he’s apparently done enough to convince the org that he belongs on the big stage.
From academy grind to main stage
Before landing with Team Liquid’s development roster, Kicks had stints with Team Vitality and other organizations.
Born on September 18, 2005, Kicks represents a generation of Valorant professionals who’ve essentially grown up with the game. Valorant launched in 2020, meaning players like Kicks were teenagers when the competitive scene started taking shape.
What the roster looks like now
The promotion of Kicks is paired with the return of trexxfps, giving Team Liquid a reshaped roster heading into Stage 2.
No specific performance metrics or financial details accompanied the announcement. That’s standard for roster moves of this nature. What we know is what we can see: Kicks played well enough in academy competition to earn the call-up.