Winterfox’s Counter-Strike:Global Offensive roster may not be able to return to the fifth season of the ESL Pro League after the organization reportedly failed to acquire valid work visas for the players, according to a report in Slingshot Esports.
The roster, which consists of players from both Australia and New Zealand, was recruited by the organization last August. After a trip home, however, Winterfox management reportedly hasn’t helped the players obtain visas or flight tickets to the U.S. This means the roster will likely be unable to re-enter North America in time to compete in their remaining games in the fifth season of ESL Pro League.
The Winterfox players—Mike “apoc” Aliferis, Chris “emagine” Rowlands, Chris “ofnu” Hanley, Ryan “zewsy” Palmer, and Razmik “RaZ” Bastadjan—also claim they haven’t received any salary for the month of March. While the squad has contacted ESL about the situation, the tournament organizer has reportedly urged the two parties to settle the situation themselves.
The response from ESL appears to have prompted former Winterfox rifler Todd “anger” Williams to talk openly about his period together with Winterfox—and alleges that the organization’s former roster was treated in a similar manner to the current squad.
The team’s next game in the ESL Pro League is scheduled to take place on April 13 against Renegades.
