Team Liquid Replacing VCT EMEA Winner FPX for VCT Masters 2022 due to VISA Restrictions. FunPlus Phoenix, the current champions of the VALORANT Champions Tour 2022: EMEA Stage 1 Challengers, will be unable to compete in the VCT Masters 1 event in Reykjavik, Iceland, next month, according to Riot Games. In the EMEA Challengers finals, FPX defeated G2 Esports 3-1, while Team Liquid finished fourth, making them the next-best team after Fnatic and G2 to fill EMEA’s three slots for Masters 1. The reasons for this, according to Riot, are that “travel restrictions in Ukraine and Russia, as well as current COVID-19 laws, continue to cause severe hurdles for international travel.” Team Liquid Replacing FPX
— VALORANT Champions Tour EMEA (@valesports_emea) March 28, 2022
FunPlus Phoenix received the dreaded news just hours after winning the EMEA Stage-1 Challengers and sealing their spot in the Reykjavik Masters. Due to the continuing Russia-Ukraine situation and COVID-19 regulations, the team’s travel arrangements to Iceland were complicated. Riot finally stated this morning that the team will not compete in the LAN event, and Team Liquid will take their place.
One Ukrainian and two Russian players are currently on the FPX roster. These three players are unable to travel to Iceland due to travel limitations, while a fourth player, Ardis ‘ardiis’ Svarenieks, is unable to travel due to newly contracting COVID-19. Team Liquid, which finished fourth in the EMEA Stage 1 Challengers, will now replace FPX in Iceland. It’s unclear whether Team Liquid will receive any prize money or VCT points for competing in Masters 1. G2, Fnatic, and Team Liquid will be the three EMEA teams competing in Iceland.
Riot did its best by extending the roster lock window, but FPX was unable to locate a suitable replacement in such a short time. As a result, due to a roster shortfall, the squad chose not to compete in the event. This would have been the squad’s maiden international outing. Regrettably, the team will have to wait a little longer to represent the EMEA region on a global scale.
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