Team Replacement at ESL One Katowice 2019
After Mineski withdrew from the event, ESL announced that they would be filling TNC Predator’s spot at ESL One Katowice 2019. It is the third team replacement at the event, with Chaos Esports Club taking over the former paiN Gaming roster. This is an unusual situation since Mineski did not compete in the qualifying tournament.
TNC Predator Drops Out
TNC Predator, who was still competing in The Chongqing Major, had to withdraw from ESL One Katowice 2019 due to schedule conflicts and potential visa issues. These issues came up when the team was processing their visas for Katowice and other events.
Mineski Steps In
With TNC Predator’s withdrawal, Mineski was chosen by ESL to represent Southeast Asia in the event. This will be the team’s first Major event since ESL One Hamburg 2018, where they finished in the 11th to 12th place.
It is worth noting that the runner-up team in the Southeast Asian Qualifier, Lotac, also had visa issues. ESL had to look outside of the qualifier tournament to find a replacement.
Mineski recently added Lai “AhJit” Jay Son, formerly of Fnatic and Tigers, to their roster. They will have time to integrate him into their system before the event begins on Feb. 22.
Related: Dendi joins Mushi on new look Tigers roster
ESL One Katowice 2019
Although not part of the Dota Pro Circuit, ESL One Katowice is set to be one of the biggest Majors of the season, featuring top teams from around the world and a prize pool of $300,000.