With just five days remaining until Dota 2’s highly anticipated tournament, The International 2023, Team SMG has made an exciting announcement. Ivan “MinD_ContRoL” Ivanov, a previous TI winner, will be joining the team as a stand-in player. This decision comes after Natthaphon “Masaros” Ouanphakdee’s unsuccessful attempts to obtain a US visa for the event.
Unfortunately, Masaros was unable to acquire his USA visa despite multiple attempts. However, Team SMG is still working on resolving this issue and hopes that Masaros will be able to join the team in the second or third week of the tournament, should they advance to the next stage.
In the meantime, MinD_ContRoL will be taking over the offlane position for Team SMG during the group stages of TI12. The organization expressed their gratitude to Nigma Galaxy for their assistance in such short notice.
The International 2023 has undergone a major format overhaul, with the group stage set to begin on October 12 and last for three days. The playoffs weekend will commence on October 20, giving Masaros an additional 13 days to secure his visa.
MinD_ContRoL had a challenging season with Nigma Galaxy in 2023 but showcased his skills as a stand-in player for OG at the Berlin Major and DreamLeague Season 21. Despite not qualifying for major events with Nigma, his impressive performances reminded fans of his talent.
Visa issues have been a recurring problem in the Dota 2 scene, and it is unfortunate that they continue to overshadow important tournaments like DreamLeague Season 21 and potentially TI 2023. Missing out on such a prestigious event due to visa problems would be devastating for any player.
However, it is worth noting that TI 2023 may not be the biggest Dota 2 event of the year in terms of prize pool. The Riyadh Masters 2023 has raised the bar with a $15 million prize pool, which TI 2023 is unlikely to match due to the lack of substantial content in the Compendium.
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Source: DOTESPORTS
