Virtus.professional will likely be absent from ESL Professional League Season 22 after being turned away on the Swedish border, and their hopes of attending the StarLadder Budapest Main could now be in danger.
In a press release posted by Virtus.professional, they mentioned that “border management raised considerations concerning the medical insurance coverage of three gamers. Notably, the identical insurance coverage insurance policies had beforehand been accepted with out challenge in different Schengen nations”
They later mentioned that regardless of finding out the problem concerning the medical insurance coverage, it was already too late, and that visas had already been revoked. The group is now in touch with a “native lawyer specializing in migration regulation” however that the method is anticipated to take “a while.”
Virtus.рro will miss ESL Professional League in Stockholm.
Sadly, our group will likely be unable to take part within the upcoming ESL Professional League in CS2, set to happen in Stockholm within the coming days.
Upon coming into Sweden, border management raised considerations concerning the medical insurance coverage… pic.twitter.com/o0NsmkQwuZ
— Virtus.professional (@virtuspro) September 27, 2025
Virtus.professional have been set to enter ESL Professional League Season 22 in Stage 1 of the competitors, the place they’d have North American group M80 of their opening sport.
This offered a stable alternative for them to get extra sport apply with Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy’s system as their new IGL, and to additional mattress of their new signing Vadim “tO0RO” Arkov after his promotion for his or her academy group, they may now be with out an occasion to play in till after the StarLadder Budapest Main invite lower off date on October 6.
VP May Miss Main?
Nonetheless, as a consequence of their incapacity to play in ESL Professional League, Virtus.Professional’s qualification to mentioned Main is now additionally unsure. Former NAVI and Gambit coach kane mentioned “I’ll drop an attention-grabbing inside: Virtus.professional most certainly received’t make it to the Main.”
😑 No VirtusPro at Main? Kane is aware of one thing we don’t. pic.twitter.com/xpVCy7ZSJl
— CS2 NEWS (@CS2News_EN) September 27, 2025
It’s at the moment unclear as as to whether this may even be as a consequence of a travel-related challenge because it has been with ESL Professional League, however VRS wizard MischiefCS2 is already reporting that the lack of VRS factors could also be catastrophic.
On account of lacking out on the match in Stockholm, Sweden, VP will fall to 18th within the European standings, two ranks under the required sixteenth place to qualify for Budapest.
Effectively, the EU main race simply obtained thrilling.
Up to date EU 🇪🇺 Main VRS predictions after the EPL adjustments.
This has handed a lifeline to contending groups, its gonna be a really attention-grabbing subsequent 10 days. pic.twitter.com/U7YHBWRgkO
— Finn (@MischiefCS2) September 27, 2025
ENCE to Change Virtus.Professional
ESL has given ENCE the chance to exchange Virtus.professional on the match, as a consequence of them being the subsequent eligible group for qualification.
As per their guidelines: “Any withdrawal occurring lower than two weeks previous to the occasion’s begin date will outcome within the invitation being granted to the highest-ranked group on the Valve Regional Standings from the host area of the occasion. Solely groups with legitimate visas for the area or nation the place the match is being held will likely be thought-about.”
Because of this, ENCE have needed to pull out of the Birch Cup, to get replaced by Group Liquid.
We’re by means of to Birch Cup Playoffs. Goodluck ENCE at EPL👊
See you tomorrow.
— Group Liquid CS (@TeamLiquidCS) September 27, 2025
Extra Visa Points
Virtus.professional aren’t the one group going through visa points forward of ESL Professional League – Chinese language group Lynn Imaginative and prescient additionally needed to drop out as a consequence of their incapacity to area a whole roster through the occasion.
They’re to get replaced by Spanish group Light Mates, who needed to forfeit matches on the ongoing Birch Cup 2025 with the intention to journey to Stockholm for the occasion.
These forfeitures, and the shortage of VRS factors out there in Stage 1 of ESL Professional League, implies that Light Mates may even now most certainly miss out on the Main, though their probabilities of qualification have been already slim.
