- Natus Vincere is one of the teams that have decided to forfeit their shot at ONE Esports Singapore Major
- The COVID-19 pandemic hit the team hard. Moreover, the risk of being stuck in Singapore if someone gets the virus now
- RAMSES666, who was supposed to play for the Na'VI was already traveling to the event and didn't get the news. He has a day to find a new team
As the pandemic continues to ravage the world, the ONE Esports Major in Dota 2 will take place with a limited cast because of numerous teams and players starting to pull out.
Natus Vincere's Reasons to Pull out from Major
Natus Vincere has decided to forgo participation in the ONE Esports Singapore Major in Dota 2, the team announced. The reason is the ongoing pandemic.
The previous days two players from Na'Vi were tested positive for the virus: Bogdan “Iceberg” Vasilenko and even worse, their captain Andrii “ALWAYSWANNAFLY” Bondarenko.
Natus Vincere was still hellbent on participating in the major and quickly found themselves replacements. Their coach Andrey “Mag” Chipenko stepped in, and the infamous Roman “RAMZES666” Kushnarev was recruited.
However, the pandemic ruined those plans as well. Not long after, Mag also got the virus. Since he had contact with the rest of the active team, it is possible that he may have transmitted it. Moreover, several of them have already reported symptoms of a sickness. In the worst-case scenario, if the team was to visit the tournament, the players' risk of being quarantined in Singapore which will be a highly unfavorable turn of events.
Thus Natus Vincere has wisely decided to withdraw from the tournament.
If they quarantine themselves now, they may still have a chance to heal and compete in the Dota Pro Circuit. If they are stuck in Singapore, that may not be possible.
This is unfortunate as other teams and players already have started dropping from the tournament as well. Beastcoast also forfeited the Major, and some individuals have already dropped out because of COVID-19.
Moreover, RAMSES666 was already traveling to Singapore and was unaware of what was happening to Natus Vincere.
RAMSES666 and will now have to offer his skills as a free agent in another team. The player just returned to the game after a long hiatus, so suddenly finding himself searching for a team right before a tournament is probably not the most pleasant of experiences. However, his unmatched skill will probably be highly sought. And as many individuals have been dropping, RAMZES666 may have luck in landing a good open spot.
ONE Esports, PGL, and Valve will now have to reschedule matches and change the structure of the tournament as two teams have left. It sure isn't easy for them to make those last-second changes. As Silviu Stroie, PGL's CEO, had said, the situation is already bad, and the organization of this tournament is a major accomplishment. With the worsening pandemic, the organizing parties will need to show vigilance as the Major takes place.
We can wish the organizers, the teams, and the free agents the best of luck in figuring things out before the tournament starts tomorrow.
