Teams like Virtus.pro and Gambit will be affected by this ruling.
BLAST Premier has just shared on social media that they are not allowing Russia-based teams from playing in their events for the foreseeable future. A number of teams will be affected due to this ruling, and BLAST’s WePlay CIS Masters qualifier, which was scheduled to be held on 25 March, has been cancelled as well.
The ruling will be affecting mainly Russia-based teams, not teams with a majority Russian roster. Teams like Gambit Esports and Virtus.pro will be affected, but Entropiq and Na’Vi will not as they are based in the Czech Republic. This was confirmed by Luis Mira from Dexerto on Twitter
BLAST said that,
“We are sorry to the fans and players from the CIS region for this decision but we do not think it is appropriate that this (CIS qualifier) event goes ahead at this time...”
The decision has invited a slew of comments on the post, with the majority questioning the reasoning on the move, as esports is not as connected to the government as other mainstream sports like soccer. Many are questioning the decision and cries of separating politics and esports are rising – at least in the comments thread.
This move may set a precedent for other event organisers, as many of the Russia-based teams are set to play in upcoming events such as the upcoming ESL Pro League Season 15, where Gambit and Virtus.pro are slated to play in the tournament.
