The FRENCH CANADIANS team that stunned Immortals to qualify for the Americas Minor will not be able to attend the event because of apparent visa issues, according to tweets Wednesday from Keven “PLAYER1” Champagne.
We won't be attending the Minor đ
— Keven Champagne (@_PLAYERR1) October 18, 2017
For those asking why, it's simple. One of our player has visa issues and stand-ins aren't allowed.
— Keven Champagne (@_PLAYERR1) October 18, 2017
PLAYER1 did not specify which player had problems with his visa, but it is most likely Mert “REOVA” Beyrak, a Turkish national living in the United States. The tournament runs Nov. 2-5 in Toronto, Canada. As per Valve’s rules, the team cannot use a stand-in.
FRENCH CANADIANS defeated Immortals in the final round of the closed North American qualifier to earn the last spot in the Minor. SoaR Gaming, Immortals and Misfits are all potential replacement for the FRENCH CANADIANS, as they were the three teams to lose in the final round of the closed qualifier.
The rest of the teams at the Minor are Counter Logic Gaming, Team Liquid, compLexity Gaming, NRG Esports, Rise Nation, Luminosity and Team oNe. The top two teams from the Americas Minor will advance to the offline qualifier for the ELEAGUE Major, where 16 teams will compete for the final eight spots at January Major in Boston.