Seven IGLs protest BLAST's decision on Astralis in an open letter

The in-game leaders of the seven teams registered for the BLAST Premier Fall Final 2024 Counter-Strike 2 tournament have issued an open letter addressed to the organizers of the upcoming event.

In it, the esports athletes call on BLAST to force Astralis to play at the event with coach Casper "ruggah" Due instead of Casper "cadiaN" Møller. Note that the latter was registered for the competition after the roster lock date as an emergency replacement. Astralis' management cited the fact that Alexander "br0" Bro would not be able to compete at the tournament due to health issues, while BLAST allowed him to be replaced by cadiaN. At the same time, Bro's agent stated that he is completely healthy and ready to play.

The full text of the open letter can be found below. It was signed by Dan "apEX" Madesclaire, Russel "Twistzz" Van Dulken, Finn "karrigan" Andersen, Marco "Snappi" Pfeiffer, Aleksi "Aleksib" Virolainen, Janusz "⁠Snax⁠" Pogorzelski, as well as Leonid "chopper" Vishnyakov, who did not support the boycott of the media day before the start of the event.

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.

BLAST Premier Fall Final 2024 will be held from September 25 to 29 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The total prize pool of the competition will amount to $425,000 – it will be divided among eight rosters. The strongest squad will also secure a ticket to BLAST Premier World Final 2024.

Origin: www.hltv.org