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Several top Counter-Strike 2 in-game leaders (IGLs) have taken a stand against BLAST Premier Fall Final’s organiser, protesting what they believe to be favouritism shown towards Astralis.
The controversy began when BLAST approved an emergency substitution for Astralis at the Fall Final, allowing their newly signed captain, Casper “cadiaN” Møller, to replace Alexander “br0” Bro after the roster lock deadline.
Astralis claimed br0 was unfit to play due to a medical emergency, though br0’s agent publicly stated that the player was fully healthy and ready to compete.
As we represent @br0CSGO teams have reached out to me, regarding his health or medical condition, he is fully fine, obviously unfortunate he got benched. Nevertheless, Alex is fully healthy and ready to perform. So feel free to keep reaching out
— Fabian Broich (@SportsPsycFaBro) September 17, 2024
The decision has outraged several prominent players, including FaZe Clan’s Finn “karrigan” Andersen, Team Liquid’s Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken, Team Vitality’s Dan “apEX” Madesclaire, and Falcons’ Marco “Snappi” Pfeiffer.
These IGLs, along with their teams, skipped the tournament’s media day in protest, with karrigan leading the charge by declaring, “I might be unfit for BLAST Media tomorrow,” a statement echoed by others.
Six out of eight teams followed suit, with only Astralis and Team Spirit’s IGL Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov attending the event.
The protest stems from accusations that BLAST applied a double standard in allowing cadiaN to replace br0, whereas other teams have had similar requests denied in the past.
For example, in 2023, FaZe Clan’s request to replace Håvard “rain” Nygaard with Kristian “k0nfig” Wienecke was rejected, forcing FaZe to play with their coach instead.
Heroic faced a similar situation earlier in the year when they were denied a substitute for player Abdul “degster” Gasanov, who was unable to play due to visa issues.
The captains argue that if br0 was indeed unable to play, Astralis’ coach Danny “ruggah” Sørensen should have been the substitute, as per tournament rules.
The lack of transparency and perceived favouritism towards Astralis has fueled outrage among both players and fans.
Adding to the complexity is BLAST’s historical connection to Astralis, having shared ownership ties in the past, which raises concerns of a conflict of interest.
Though BLAST’s parent company, RFRSH Entertainment, divested from Astralis in 2019, the lingering ties still cast a shadow over such decisions.
In response to the controversy, the captains, led by karrigan, published an open letter criticising BLAST’s handling of the situation.
There are two things we as IGLs want to address when it comes to Blast’s decision regarding the allowance of Cadian to play for Astralis at Blast Fall Finals.
Firstly, integrity is at utmost importance. The roster lock rules are established for this very purpose. There have been 2 separate cases where coaches were forced to play for their respective teams: Heroic at Blast Fall Groups, and G2 at Blast Spring Finals. Emergency substitutes have previously been denied, and in this case, we believe that if br0 is in fact unfit to play, Astralis coach Ruggah would have to step in and play.
The results at Blast Fall Finals have a significant impact on the RMR Rankings, as well as a significant impact on the teams that are currently fighting for crucial points to qualify for Blast World Finals.
The second aspect we wish to address is our firm stance against the exploitation of mental health or physical health issues as a means to justify the allowance of an emergency substitute. We believe that such matters should never be taken lightly. In the event that a player faces an emergency in the future, it is essential to respect their privacy and extend our wishes for a speedy recovery to them.
We are not requesting evidence of br0’s situation, and we extend our best wishes and respect to him, if an emergency is indeed the case. As previously mentioned, rules are rules, and according to the precedent set by Blast stating that if no substitutes are added prior to the event, the coach would be the primary substitute.
Given the circumstances, we believe that Ruggah should serve as a substitute, and permitted to play, if he is in good health and fit to do so.
Finally, if Astralis were to receive a penalty or sanction, we advocate that any fine imposed should be going towards a mental health charity donation.
Sincerely,
karrigan, apex, snappi, aleksib, twistzz, snax, chopper
