Virtus.pro Removed from the Line-Up of GAMERS GALAXY

Virtus.pro have been excluded from the list of participants of GAMERS GALAXY: Invitational Series Dubai 2022. The companies behind the event have not commented on the issue. Meanwhile the Russian club claims that they were removed from the schedule due to their refusal to publicly condemn the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier yesterday Virtus.pro reported that they were “threatened” with disqualification from the event unless they made a public statement about the current situation in Ukraine. They were also offered another option that involved their players renouncing the club’s tag and jerseys and playing “without affiliation to any particular club or country”. The organization threw off the demands but stated that they “do not support any war there is or ever was: in Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia or any other”.

The event is organized by a UAE organization Nigma Galaxy with support of the Ukrainian tournament operator WePlay. Neither of the organizations have officially commented on the VP’s removal from the line-up. Earlier WePlay also refused to cover the event in Russian language.

Today, March 2nd, is the first day of GAMERS GALAXY: Invitational Series Dubai 2022, a $270,000 LAN-event that takes place in Dubai. It begins with a group stage with two round-robin groups. Virtus.pro were supposed to play in Group B alongside BOOM, OG, Nigma Galaxy SEA and Team Secret, meanwhile Group A includes Nigma Galaxy, Tundra Esports, Fnatic, Team Spirit and TSM.