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Both MOUZ and Natus Vincere will be without one of their star players at IEM Sydney, with Jimi “Jimpphat” Salo from MOUZ and Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev set to miss the event in Sydney, Australia.
MOUZ is entering the Counter-Strike 2 era without their young star, Jimpphat, who is currently facing visa issues.
MOUZ ROSTER UPDATE
⁰Due to visa issues, we are making a roster change for #IEM Sydney.⁰ ⁰➡️ @NexiusCS2⁰⬅️ @jimpphatCSGO⁰ ⁰If we can resolve the visa issues in the coming days, Jimi will join the team in Sydney later.
⁰#VAMOUZ pic.twitter.com/G3jYULR0qp— MOUZ (@mousesports) October 14, 2023
To fill the void, MOUZ has temporarily brought in Bram “Nexius” Campana for IEM Sydney 2023 until Jimpphat’s visa matters are resolved.
Following their significant roster upgrade after the BLAST Paris Major, MOUZ has been on fire.
They not only added Jimpphat’s explosive talent but also acquired Kamil “siuhy” Szkaradek, formerly the face of GamerLegion, who led his previous team to the finals of the Major with his fearless and fluid in-game leading style.
Jimpphat played a crucial role during their victory at the ESL Pro League Season 18 Finals, earning praise for his clutching abilities.
While losing a player of Jimpphat’s caliber is a setback, missing only part of IEM Sydney is manageable.
MOUZ has its sights set on more significant prizes, particularly the inaugural CS2 Major, which is just around the corner.
Other high-profile tournaments are also on the horizon, and MOUZ is expected to be at full strength for those.
In the meantime, they can rely on Nexius to fill in until Jimpphat’s visa issues are resolved, which could be sooner than later.
This means that Jimpphat still has a chance to join his team down under should they make a deep run in the tournament.
IEM Sydney 2023 appears to be plagued with high-profile absences and potential in-game bugs, making it an explosive and unpredictable event.
One of the most notable absences is s1mple from NAVI, often considered the CS:GO GOAT.
According to NAVI’s release, s1mple will not be attending IEM Sydney due to issues related to his EU residency papers.
According to sources, the reason s1mple isn’t attending IEM Sydney with NAVI is that his EU residency papers are not yet ready. If he traveled to Sydney, there was a chance he would not be able to get back to the EU.
B1ad3 is replacing s1mple at the Australian event. pic.twitter.com/1l0QnhgQC8
— Luís Mira (@luismmira) October 15, 2023
Team coach B1ad3 will be stepping in to complete the roster, but this is seen as a significant downgrade, as B1ad3 hasn’t played at this level since his days with FlipSid3 Tactics.
S1mple’s decision to take a break may be well-founded considering his recent criticism of the state of CS2.
He expressed frustration with the game due to numerous bugs and server issues, even going so far as to advise against playing it in its current state.
With an unstable online environment, IEM Sydney may witness its fair share of bugs and glitches in its early days.
Furthermore, s1mple has been experiencing a frustrating streak, with NAVI underperforming in the final days of CS:GO.
Taking a break might help alleviate these frustrations within the team and on the server.
Regardless of whether s1mple participates in the first CS2 tournament, he remains one of the greatest CS players of all time.
He will have plenty of opportunities to compete for glory in CS2, including the highly anticipated first CS2 Major set for March 2024.
