Gambit Esports and Virtus.pro players will play at the RMR tournament and Major in a neutral status

Tournament operator PGL issued an official statement in which he clarified the future of Russian organizations in their championships. In particular, the organizer has disqualified clubs from Russia that are directly or indirectly connected with the Government bodies. However, Gambit Esports and Virtus.pro players will play at the RMR tournament and the Major in a neutral status.

The ongoing Russian invasion of the sovereign state of Ukraine has caused enormous human suffering and pain. We all hope for a peaceful resolution of the war and minimization of further casualties and tragedies.

Given the current dire situation, we have decided that individuals and organizations associated with the Russian government will not be allowed to participate in upcoming matches at RMR and PGL Antwerp Major 2022.

Therefore, we will ban Virtus.pro and Gambit Esports from participating in the RMR and the upcoming PGL Antwerp Major 2022. However, we will allow players who are currently associated with Virtus.pro and Gambit Esports to participate in the championships under neutral names and kits, as we recognize that the players are not complicit in the situation.

Our hearts go out to those affected by the war. We will be monitoring the situation as it develops and will be transparent to both the public and our tournament participants if further action is required.

Note that in the context of the bans on participation in competitions, there is no mention of other Russian organizations, including Team Spirit and forZe. Moreover, these clubs have not previously been subject to sanctions by tournament operators. It is probably worth waiting for further clarification from the tournament operator, or teams will be able to represent the colors of their clubs without restrictions.

This is not the first time that Gambit Esports and Virtus.pro players are deprived of the opportunity to play under their own tags. As part of the ESL Pro League Season 15, the teams played under the Players and Outsiders tags, respectively.

Virtus.pro players will take part in the PGL Major Antwerp 2022 Europe RMR A, which will be held from April 17 to 20 in Bucharest. In turn, Gambit Esports players will have to play at PGL Major Antwerp 2022 Europe RMR B, which will be held from April 21 to 24.

Full schedule of RMR tournaments at PGL Major Antwerp 2022:

• America (16 teams): April 11-15.
• Asia (4 teams): April 15-16.
• Europe A (16 teams): April 17-20.
• Europe B (16 teams): April 21-24.