With the ESL Pro League coming up soon, the tournament body has released an official statement on its stance on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The ESL has stated that it will be banning any Russian teams and players that have ties to the Russian government, under alleged or confirmed EU sanctions, with those teams unable to be represented at ESL events.
So far, this includes both Gambit Esports and Virtus.pro, although ESL has clarified that this ban doesn't necessarily explicitly stop the players from being able to compete. Members of the banned organisations will be able to compete under a neutral name, without representing a country/organisation, or wearing any of the team's sponsors of clothing.
Similarly, the ESL has affirmed that all of the competitions that were intended to take place in the CIS region have been paused, and will now be played at a later date.
Last of all, the ESL has stated that it will be working with its partners and employees to help support the people suffering from these global events, with donations to the UNHCR and paid time off for any of its affected employees or those that intend to volunteer for humanitarian relief.
