- The player was recently diagnosed with Covid-19
- He is currently in isolation and recovering well in Thailand
- Fnatic will bring Execration’s Palos as a substitute for the event
Fnatic’s troubles this season continue as now their star carry Marc “Raven” Fausto was diagnosed with Covid-19 and will miss ESL One Malaysia.
Raven Diagnosed with Covid
More than a year and a half since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the illness is still messing up esports events and organizations. Not once were tournaments postponed or players unable to participate due to catching the disease, and this time it’s Fnatic player Marc “Raven” Fausto’s turn. The recently tested positive for Covid-19 and will miss the ESL One Malayasia Major.
The news comes as another wrench in the works of Fnatic, who are already struggling this season. The team had a horrendous run at the Gamers Galaxy Dota 2 Invitational HatYai Thailand. The ESL One Malaysia 2022 is the last chance the team has to get itself back on track before going into bootcamp.
Now the team will have a tough time at the event, playing without their carry. Team director Paolo “KTM” Gonzales Bago announced Raven’s diagnosis on Twitter, explaining the player will miss the event as he is currently in isolation, but is recovering well.
What Happens Next?
While Raven is in isolation due to his disease, Fnatic still has to compete. The team recently announced that it is bringing Jinn “Palos” Lamatao from Execration. It’s interesting to note that when Raven’s condition was announced, a rumor started circling the fandom that Fnatic will bring Kim “Gabbi” Santos as a stand-in. However, these rumors were quickly denied by KTM on Twitter.
Instead, a couple of hours later, Fnatic announced in a Facebook post that they are bringing in Palos. “Palos will be standing in for Raven from the start until the end of the tournament,” the team wrote.
Just before being contacted by Fnatic, Palos’ team Execration was returning home to the Philippines after achieving a Top Four finish at Gamers Galaxy Dota 2 Invitational. The players arrived late in the night and Palos received a phone call asking him to substitute Raven. He immediately accepted the request and was on a plane for Malaysia at 8 in the morning.
ESL One Malaysia’s Group Stage starts on August 23. Fnatic will not have it easy in trying to get back up on their feet because they are in the same Group B with TSM and Team Liquid. Palos will have to work extra hard to fill in the void left by Raven.
