With eight of the best teams scheduled to do battle in the Heroes of the Storm Americas Championship this weekend, one has been forced out of the event due to visa issues.
Brave Ozone, the winners of the Latin America qualifier, are out after their players were unable to obtain visa. According to the team, they were interviewed by U.S. consulate officials who considered them too high risk to enter the country.
“US consulate denied visas on the grounds that the players did not have sufficient ties with Brazil,” according to a statement from the team.
The withdrawal is disappointing for Latin American fans and the Brazilian team, but good news for the teams that were due to face Ozone—COGnitive Gaming, CompLexity Gaming and Relics. Those teams will now compete in a three-team group with two of them advancing to the playoffs where one win will see them qualify for the World Championship.
Obtaining visas continues to be an issue in esports. While on one hand some top esports athletes are beginning to get appropriate visa recognition from national governments, even in the top games like League of Legends players still find themselves locked out of competitions.
Image via Heroes Esports/Twitter
