For the Dota 2 teams participating in the Arlington Major, this is the last chance to get those much-needed DPC points for a direct invite to The International 2022. There's the expectation of seeing a lot of good matches, but some fans may need to lower it. That's because some teams won't be joining with a complete roster due to issues.
An Uphill Climb
Based on the current rankings, Fnatic needs to get at least eighth place in the upcoming tournament to get the
points for the direct invite. The problem is that only Anucha "Jabz" Jirawong and Djardel "DJ" Mampusti were able to get visas. Initially, this would be a really big problem. Fortunately, organizer PGL allowed the team to join the tournament with three substitutes.
As of this writing, Fnatic has yet to reveal who will join the roster.
A Team Effort
While Fnatic is pursuing their participation in the Arlington Major, one team didn't want to play without a complete roster. Chinese team Xtreme Gaming managed to earn a spot in the tournament by placing third in the region. One team member, however, failed to get a visa despite multiple tries.
In a post on Weibo, the team had a long discussion about the matter, and after considering different factors, they decided not to join the Arlington Major. Instead, the team plans to concentrate and prepare for the TI qualifiers.
According to PGL, no other team will take Xtreme Gaming's spot.
The OG's "Return"
The Arlington Major will also see the return of two members of OG to the competitive scene. The first is Sébastien "Ceb" Debs, serving as a stand-in for Mikhail "Misha" Agatov. Misha wasn't the only member from OG to have a visa denied but also coach Evgenii "Chuvash" Makarov.
Anathan "ana" Pham is also joining the Arlington Major, but with Royal Never Give Up as a stand-in for Daniel "Ghost" Chan Kok Hong. Since getting a first-place finish at Tour 3, RNG now needs an eighth-place finish for a chance to join TI. Hopefully, having Ana is enough.
Other Roster Changes
The teams mentioned aren't the only ones having problems with visa issues. Check the names below:
- Player: Ivan "Pure" Moskalenko
- Stand-in: Jonáš "SabeRLight-" Volek
- Player: Worawit "Q" Mekchai
- Stand-in: Kenny "Xepher" Deo
- Player: Herrera "Darkmago" Gonzalo
- Stand-in: Ricardo "Alone" Fernandez
- Coach: Thomas Jaulis "Valqui" Romero
- Stand-in: Christian "Accel" Cruz
What about you? Is this tournament still worth watching? Read more about the Arlington Major here. Dota 2 is available on PC.
