With only five days left until The International 2023, Team SMG has announced that TI-winner Ivan “MinD_ContRoL” Ivanov will join the squad as a stand-in.
This decision comes after Natthaphon “Masaros” Ouanphakdee’s unsuccessful attempts to secure a US visa for TI 2023.
While MinD_ContRoL takes over as offlane for Team SMG during TI12’s group stages, the organization has assured fans that they are still working on resolving Masaros’ visa situation. This means that the Thai offlaner could potentially join the event in its second or third week, if SMG advances.
TI 2023 will begin on October 12 with a three-day group stage period. The playoffs weekend will start on October 20, giving Masaros 13 more days to secure a visa.
MinD_ContRoL had a challenging season with Nigma Galaxy in 2023, but he became the ultimate mercenary, standing in for OG at the Berlin Major and DreamLeague Season 21. His impressive performances served as a reminder of his skill to fans.
Visa applications have been a recurring issue, even overshadowing DreamLeague Season 21. Missing out on TI 2023 due to visa problems would be devastating for anyone affected.
Although TI holds a special place in Dota 2 players’ hearts, it is unlikely to be the biggest Dota 2 event of 2023 in terms of prize pool. Riyadh Masters 2023 has stepped up its prize pool to $15 million, a number that TI 2023 is unlikely to reach due to the lack of real content in the Compendium.
Related: How much is Dota 2’s The International 2023 prize pool?
Dota 2, esports, The International 2023, Team SMG, MinD_ContRoL, Masaros, offlane, visa, TI12, group stages, playoffs, Nigma Galaxy, Berlin Major, DreamLeague Season 21, Riyadh Masters 2023, prize pool, Compendium.