GeekFam will miss ESL One Hamburg 2019 due to visa issues

After putting on a strong display at the Southeast Asia Qualifiers, GeekFam will now have to forfeit their spot at ESL One Hamburg due to issues securing visas.

Following a disappointing Dota Pro Circuit 2018/2019 season, the team returned with an impressive new roster and full of fire. Of its three qualifier matches, they only conceded one game, and within a week, they qualified for two LAN events.

Visa issues are nothing new to esports, especially Dota 2. Many teams have lost out on the opportunity to compete in grand events because they were unable to secure permission to enter one country or the other. ESL Hamburg is ten days away and while not a DPC event, GeekFam will still have to watch the days pass by painfully.

Only a few hours after GeekFam’s announcement, ESL replaced the SEA team with Alliance. Picking a European team was the safest bet with so little time left before the tournament and no assurance of any other SEA team securing a visa in time. 

ESL One Hamburg 2019 will take place from October 25-27 at the Barclaycard Arena. Featuring a $300,000 prize pool, 12 teams will compete for the lion’s share.