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FunPlus Phoenix (FPX) will not participate in the upcoming VCT Stage-1 Masters Reykjavik as the team cannot field a complete roster at the LAN event. Team Liquid, the fourth-placed team of the EMEA Stage-1 Challengers, is invited to replace FPX in the Reykjavik Masters.
Just a few hours after becoming the champion of the EMEA Stage-1 Challengers and securing their slot in the Reykjavik Masters, FunPlus Phoenix received the dreaded news.
Due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis and COVID-19 protocols, the team faced many issues regarding their travel plans for Iceland. This morning, Riot finally confirmed that the team will not participate in the LAN event, and Team Liquid will be their replacement.
FunPlus Phoenix will receive VCT Points and a share of the prize pool depending on their performance in the EMEA Stage-1 Challengers:
FunPlus Phoenix qualified for the Reykjavik Masters as the champions of VCT EMEA Stage-1 Challengers, beating G2 Esports in the Grand Finals. The team has played extremely well since the start of the event and finished at the top spot.
However, the team will not travel to Iceland as all the members of the squad will not get their visas in time. This is due to travel restrictions set in place considering the ongoing Russia-Ukraine Crisis and COVID-19 protocols.
FPX has three members in its lineup who are residents of Russia and Ukraine. These three members were facing several issues when applying for their visas to travel to Iceland.
Riot tried its best by extending the roster lock window, but FPX failed to find any substitute in this short period of time. Hence, the team decided not to participate in the event due to a roster shortage.
This would have been the first international appearance for the squad. Unfortunately, the team needs to wait a little longer to represent the EMEA region on the international stage.
Team Liquid got the invitation to fill the vacant space of FunPlus Phoenix in the VCT Stage-1 Masters Reykjavik. EMEA has a total of three slots in the Reykjavik Masters, and Team Liquid finished fourth behind FunPlus Phoenix, G2 Esports, and Fnatic.
Hence, the team received an invite as third runners-up of the VCT Stage-1 EMEA Challengers. Scream and his team will now travel to Iceland to represent the region once again.
