After dropping Nathan 'NBK' Schmitt from their CS:GO lineup, Team Vitality hasn't got a complete roster (although there are rumours that Fabien 'KioShiMa' Fiey could replace him), and that's why they're no longer competing in the Blast Pro Series event in Moscow on September 14.
Avangar and ForZe advance to the main tournament as a result, with the latter taking over Vitality's place in the match schedule, taking on Ence in the first group stage match while Avangar takes on Ninjas in Pyjamas.
"We apologize to Blast and the fans for the inconvenience," Vitality CEO Nicolas Maurer said. "We have been working hard to get a competitive roster in place before the tournament as we were looking very much forward to play in our first Blast Pro Series tournament. They have been very understanding in this process and we hope to play a Blast tournament at some point in the future. For now we regroup and go to work on reshaping our roster."
"We were excited about having Team Vitality play in our tournament, especially after their great form over the last couple of months. But when they came to us asking to withdraw, we of course listened and understood the dilemma they were facing, and agreed on allowing them. Stepping back and work on their roster was the best option. We wish them the best of luck building their new roster and look forward to having them on board for another Blast tournament in the future," Blast Pro Series CEO Robbie Douek adds.
Are you pleased with the replacement?