ForZe not to attend IEM Cologne 2023 due to visa problems

Problems continue for Russian organizations to attend top-level events in the competitive esports scene. This time, we have that FORZE’s CS:GO lineup did not get the visa to be able to attend the upcoming IEM Cologne 2023, which will be played at the end of July.

This is a common problem in recent times in the CS:GO competitive scene. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, most tournament organizers and countries banned all Russian organizations and players from putting pressure on the Russian government. However, with time, such regulations regarding Russian teams and players have decreased, but Germany remains rigid. As a result, visa problems make FORZE unable to participate in IEM Cologne 2023.

ESL announce that FORZE will not participate in IEM Cologne 2023 due to visa problems

In an official statement on its Twitter account, ESL announced that FORZE could not attend IEM Cologne 2023 due to visa issues. Furthermore, in the same statement, they announced that OG is the team that will replace them at the first major event in the second half of the year. On the other hand, it is worth remembering that IEM Cologne 2023 has a juicy prize pool of $1,000,000 to be distributed.

#IEM Cologne 2023 Team Update:

Due to visa issues, @forzegg have withdrawn from the tournament.

They will be replaced by @OGCSGO per our rulebook, as they are the next highest-ranked team in the #ESLWorldRanking. pic.twitter.com/XACumGi1Yr

— Intel® Extreme Masters (@IEM) July 11, 2023

As we know, FORZE is a team with five players from Russia. Because of the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine, many Russian citizens have many problems obtaining visas to enter different European countries. While this is certainly a terrible situation for the guys in the FORZE lineup, this is a great opportunity for the new OG lineup to show what they are made of in a tournament at the highest competitive level.

Why OG?

Many may wonder why OG is the ESL’s selection to replace FORZE. However, this is worth noting due to the ESL Pro Tour’s rules. In addition, the ESL also explained in another Tweet that OG is the “next team” in the ESL World Rankings.

In addition, the official ESL rules regarding team replacement state:

“The next team in the ESL World Rankings at the time of the drop will receive an invitation to the tournament.”

“i. The next team in line from the ESL World Ranking at the time of the dropout will receive an invitation to the tournament.”

You can read the full #ESLProTour CS:GO replacement team rules here:https://t.co/erwKloPWGq

— Intel® Extreme Masters (@IEM) July 11, 2023

OG and its golden moment

OG is ranked #20 globally according to ESL, while FORZE is ranked #13. Many may wonder why OG is the team invited to the event, but it is worth noting that the teams following FORZE in the Rankings have already secured their invitations to IEM Cologne 2023. Recall that, in early July; the ESL announced that Complexity would replace paiN Gaming in the tournament.

As a result, it is the golden moment for OG to show what they are made of in a tournament at the highest competitive level of CS:GO. In addition, it can also be a thermometer to measure the synergy between the players in this revamped lineup.

On the other hand, it is worth noting that the winner of IEM Cologne 2023, in addition to having one of the four wins needed at the Intel Grand Slam, will also automatically qualify for IEM Katowice 2024. We all know how important the tournament in Katowice is in the CS:GO competitive scene every season. But this one will be much more interesting, considering it will be played on CS2.

Header: ESL