- A second team in the face of Virtus.pro has been disqualified from the Rainbow Six Invitational because of testing positive for COVID-19
- Previously, Wildcard Gaming confirmed it would be unable to attend the event forcing them out of the competition
- Both teams should be getting around 1% of the total prize pool as a consolation prize
Virtus.Pro will have to sit out the Rainbow Six Invitational (RSI) out as two team members have tested positive for COVID-19 and will not be allowed to attend the event in Paris.
Virtus.Pro to Sit Out Rainbow Six Invitational
Russian esports organization Virtus.Pro will skip the Rainbow Six Invitational after player Alan “Rask” Ali and analyst Andrey “Andreezy” Bavian tested positive for COVID-19. Ubisoft has proceeded to terminate the team’s participation in the event as a result, but Virtus.Pro may still qualify for a 1% of the prize pool similar to what happened to Wildcard Gaming when they were disqualified from the event as the roster confirmed it would be unable to make it to Paris where the event will be held.
That makes the second team to have been disqualified from the event with both Virtus.Pro and Wildcard Gaming now missing the crowning jewel of competitive Rainbow Six. This means that only eight teams will compete in Group B, with the remaining franchises including Parabellum, Spacestation, Ninjas in Pyjamas, MKERS, Giants, MIBR and TSM, looking at thinner competition.
Shedding two teams will occasion some last-minute changes to the format. As a result, only one team from each Group A and Group B will be terminated at the end of the Group Stage with nine A teams and seven B teams heading out into the playoffs.
The Darkhorse to Miss It All Out
The withdrawal of Virtus.Pro is disheartening to many fans, though, as the team has posted consistently good results, making them one of the more serious claimants for the title this year. Virtus.Pro only placed sixth in the qualifiers but they finished third in the EUL 2020 Finals, for example.
While the news of now two teams sitting out the event has dashed some hopes, the good news is that competitive Rainbow Six is right back on track and better times are coming. The Group Stage will begin on May 11, followed by Playoffs on May 19 and then the Grand Finals on May 23.
In March, Artem “Shockwave” Simakov left the competitive scene, retiring from Rainbow Six and Virtus.Pro.
