Today, one of esports' legendary players returns to competitive gaming. We are proud to announce that ElkY has joined the Hearthstone division of Team Liquid. Bertrand is one of the most successful non-Korean players in Brood War's history—arguably second only to Grrrr...—and he is a true trailblazer, traveling to Korea to pursue his dream before progaming was even considered a rational pursuit. His desire to become the best led him to a far away country because he understood that it was not possible anywhere else, and it is that same desire that compelled him to return to esports. It was only a few days ago that he made a surprise appearance at BlizzCon for a Hearthstone showmatch against Daniel Negreanu, but his road does not end there. He will make his first competitive appearance under Team Liquid at SeatStoryCup just as this announcement goes live.

ElkY and I have a long history that goes back for more than 15 years. We both played Brood War competitively and had been practice partners for a long time before I moved to Korea at age 18. In Seoul, it was ElkY that took care of me, showed me the city, and taught me the foundations necessary to become a progamer. Later on, after our careers had ended and we both transitioned into poker, our friendship continued and we were able to rely on each other when needed. As we all know by now, his success extended into his new career; for the past 10 years his travels through the poker circuit have been well documented. During that time he accumulated over $10m in prize winnings, became a PokerStars sponsored player, set the Guinness World Record for most Single Table Sit & Goes played in one hour, and had countless TV appearances, and is one of the few players to win the poker the triple crown (WSOP, WPT, EPT wins). Now, he's back to complete the circle, and looking to be an ambassador for both poker and Hearthstone.

When he approached me about a return to competitive gaming through Hearthstone, it was a no-brainer that he fit in perfectly with the organization. The industry of esports has changed so much over the past decade, but his appetite remains strong as he plans to stream regularly along with competing with the best. We look forward to supporting him wholeheartedly, and we know that Neirea, SjoW, Savjz, Dog, and our entire coaching staff are all excited to have him on board.

Team Liquid always had the best community in my eyes and has been at the forefront of the esport revolution for the past 15 years. I've been a huge fan for all this time, and I am delighted to finally join forces with my favorite team for my big return to esports. I'm already in the best poker team in Pokerstars and now I'm in the best esports team.