The Argentine squad is set to miss the Austin Major with Brazilians Legacy on standby to replace them.
Visa issues have already impacted individual players ahead of the next CS2 Major in Austin, but now a full team is at risk of missing the pinnacle event. South American qualifiers BESTIA are set to miss the major through no fault of their own after it was revealed two of the team's players were struggling to secure entry to the U.S.
Without a full five-man roster, BESTIA would be forced to concede the biggest opportunity for CS2 players, leaving qualifier runner-up Brazilian squad Legacy in the box seat to replace them.
Legacy set to replace BESTIA in Austin: "Are we just another number?"
On May 18, BESTIA announced a campaign to secure support for the squad after it was revealed two members of the team, Luciano "luchov" Herrera and Tomas "tomaszin" Corna, were yet to lock in visas to the U.S.
The campaign, sporting the hashtag #ArgentinaAlMundial, was widely spread on various social media platforms in the hopes BESTIA could make their ineligibility for the major known to the public.
It was an important push from the BESTIA outfit as they were set to be the first Argentinan to make it to a Counter-Strike Major. Unfortunately, it appears today BESTIA is out of luck and out of time.
In an interview with Counter-Strike coverage site Dust2.us following elimination at IEM Dallas, Legacy player Eduardo "dumau" Wolkmer said his squad was "given the green light" to replace BESTIA in Austin this June.
"Yes, there's a big chance that it will happen," dumau said. "I mean, unfortunately, we couldn't win [at the SA MRQ]. We didn't play our best game and it was very frustrating because, to be honest, we felt we could do it."
Legacy, who exited IEM Dallas after a defeat to 3DMAX on May 20, will stay in North America and prepare for the major — even though there is no official word of their replacement of BESTIA from BLAST or Valve.
"The Major is really soon and we prepare ourselves, we stay here, and we just enjoy the moment. But we really want to to be there and prove that we deserve to be there," he concluded.
What's our fault that they're holding the championship in the country with the most bureaucratic revenue in the world? It's not just not being able to travel to compete, it's losing the prize money that's due to us and the organization. It's not having stickers and not being immortalized in the game.
I dedicated a large part of my life to this. I think I've had a minimal impact on the development of Counter-Strike, at least in Argentina. I think BESTIA as an organization and each of the players share the same sentiment. Is this the consideration they have? Are we just another number?
Related articles
Time running out for BESTIA as Austin Major approaches
Dumau's interview and supposed reveal that Legacy will replace BESTIA sent the community into a frenzy. BESTIA player Nicolás "Noktse" Dávila made another appeal on X/Twitter for support. "I wonder what [BLAST and Valve would] do if this happened to a S-tier team," he said. "I wonder if they know how difficult it is for an Argentine organization to invest and gain a foothold in the circuit.
In another post, Tomaszin revealed he had been anxious about the visa application and "at this point I just want this situation to end," adding that he was disappointed Valve and organizer BLAST were seemingly unable to offer their full support to the team.
"I just want to do what I love," he concluded. "Thanks for not stopping using the networks. You're the only reason we haven't lost faith."
The BLAST Austin Major begins June 3 with BESTIA set to begin in the opening stage. Neither BLAST or Valve have yet to comment on the situation or whether additional bueracratic support has been offered at this time.
We'll likely receive confirmation regarding BESTIA's status for the major in the coming week. For more CS2 news stay tuned to esports.gg.
