The Kiev Major to Implement Region Locks for Open Qualifiers
The upcoming Kiev Major will introduce region locks for its open qualifiers, according to FACEIT consultant Milos Nedeljkovic. This decision comes after several teams in The Boston Major open qualifiers played in regions outside their own.
When asked about teams like Digital Chaos, a European team based in the United States, Nedeljkovic stated that more details regarding their qualification process will be provided with the release of the open qualifiers.
While it is unlikely that FACEIT would overlook such an issue, if they do, they can expect backlash from players and the community. Since Digital Chaos is one of the top teams in the world, it is expected that they will receive a direct invite to the major. However, if they are forced to compete in the European open qualifier, they may face difficulty due to potential internet issues.
The implementation of region locks is a response to the situation in The Boston Major open qualifier where several European teams participated in the American qualifier, such as Prodota Gaming. This was because the EU scene was saturated with strong teams, while the American scene had fewer competitors, making it easier for Americans to qualify. Prodota successfully made it through the open qualifier but failed to secure a major spot, finishing seventh out of eight teams in the main qualifier.
The Kiev open qualifiers will begin on March 6, with the main tournament taking place in April. Sixteen teams will battle for a prize pool of $3,000,000.
Kiev Major, region locks, open qualifiers, Digital Chaos, Prodota Gaming, FACEIT