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There's been a bit of a controversy brewing in the Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) esports scene, and at the heart of it all is Astralis' recent signing of Danish legend Casper "cadiaN" Møller to lead the squad as Alexander "br0" Bro was moved to the bench.
A roster move, in itself, is nothing to write home about, but the timing of the move and the request for an "emergency substitute," which BLAST Premier approved for the Fall Final 2024 event, is ruffling some feathers. Let's just start at the beginning!
Stay updated with the latest results: BLAST Premier Fall Final 2024 Live Results & Updates.
The Captain Swap
On 24 September 2024, just one day before the BLAST Premier Fall Final kicked off, it was first reported that Astralis declared to tournament organizer BLAST Premier that their previous captain, Alexander "br0" Bro, was "unfit to play" and requested an emergency substitute in the form of their new signing, Casper "cadiaN" Møller.
BLAST Premier then approved the request. The CS2 esports scene got to talking about the issue, and the tournament organizer said (as reported by HLTV), that they would seek further clarification on the emergency substitute case.
Several hours later, BLAST Premier announced that they would stay by the decision, and allow the br0 / cadiaN emergency substitution in a statement.
Regarding the emergency substitution used by Astralis at the Fall Final: BLAST’s policy has always allowed such substitutions for health-related reasons that are beyond a team’s control when no other eligible player has been registered," the statement began.
As of the 2024 Fall Final, BLAST’s rulebook does not bind a team regarding who they appoint as their emergency substitute. From 2025, we will look into ensuring our rulebook is more aligned to the Majors and the parameters of emergency substitutes are better clarified.
You can also check out a public response from BLAST Premier on X below.
Regarding the emergency substitution used by Astralis at the Fall Final:
— BLAST Premier 💥 (@BLASTPremier) September 24, 2024
BLAST’s policy has always allowed such substitutions for health-related reasons that are beyond a team’s control when no other eligible player has been registered.
(1/6)
The TLDR version is, the cadiaN will be on the server for Astralis at the Forum Copenhagen venue in BLAST Premier Fall Final 2024.
An Open Letter & Media Day Boycott
Other organizations attending and team captains didn't particularly like this last-minute change. For example, Team Vitality's Dan "apEX" Madesclaire posted on X, "I might be unfit for Blast Media tomorrow."
HLTV also received an Open Letter from FaZe Clan's IGL, Finn "karrigan" Andersen, noting several concerns, including past denials for a substitute and examples of how coaches are used as subs in case of an emergency. Click on the "CS2 Captain Open Letter" text below to expand and read in full.
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
The open letter was signed by seven of the eight IGLs, with the only exclusion being cadiaN from Astralis.
So what did this result in? A bit of a boycott. The IGLs didn't show up for their media day obligations at BLAST Fall Final 2024, except for Team Spirit's chopper and cadiaN. Snax did show up for the second half of the day.
The Twist: br0 Trailing for ENCE?
So here comes the big twist (no, not Liquid's IGL), as there's a rather interesting Tweet from esports reporter and host Richard Lewis. Yes, Mr. Lewis is claiming that Alexander "br0" Bro is currently trailing with ENCE and, therefore, logically questioned Astralis' request for an emergency substitute due to illness.
By the way, I don't usually bother with roster shit these days but given the circumstances, why not? I'm reliably informed that br0 is trialling with ENCE at the moment. So Astralis are saying he's too ill to compete but he's well enough to trial for people. What an org.
— Richard Lewis (@RLewisReports) September 24, 2024
At the time of writing, neither br0 nor ENCE has confirmed this report. This story is still unfolding.
Don't forget to check out our Pick'Em choices and Fantasy roster player picks for the BLAST Premier Fall Final 2024 and see how your predictions compare to mine.
Read More: GG.BET & Blast are building memorable fan experiences in esports arenas
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