Vega Squadron will be unable to attend the GESC Bangkok Dota 2 Minor on May 9, due to visa issues for the CIS-region team.
Two of Vega Squadron’s players were unable to secure their visas in time for the $250,000 tournament, the team revealed in a press release today. The cause for the team’s withdrawal stems from Vega’s Kyrgyzstani players Evgeniy “Blizzy” Ree and Bakyt “Zayac” Emilzhanov, not having their passports returned after applying for Chinese visas.
On March 26, Vega qualified for the MDL Changsha Valve Major, and as such had to apply for visas in order to travel to China. Vega’s manager, Georgy Faleev, said the staff spent over a week trying to get the visas delivered faster. Unfortunately for Vega, the Chinese consulate in Bishkek, Kyrgyztan’s capital “only delayed the interviews or declined our [Vega’s] appeals.” As such, Vega elected to forfeit its spot in the tournament, rather than play with two stand-ins.
The GESC Bangkok Minor will now only feature eight teams instead of nine, as the tournament is only two days away. This also means that the team will only compete in one more Dota 2 Pro Circuit event before the start of The International 8 in August.
Vega Squadron’s most recent Dota 2 Pro Circuit appearance was the fifth season of the StarLadder i-League Invitational on April 15. The team ended up placing fifth after losing in the semifinals to VG.J. As such, they will more than likely be forced to qualify for The International 8 through its upcoming regional qualifiers, since the team doesn’t have enough Dota 2 Pro Circuit points to receive an invitation to the Dota 2 world championship.
