Australian team Renegades has withdrawn from ESL Pro League Season 14 due to restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic. Team officials said that the rules currently in place in Australia would prevent players from traveling to Europe and playing in the tournament.
Commenting on this decision, Joshua «INS» Porter of Renegades explained that the team expects to participate in ESEA Premier next season. The players also hope that they will qualify for the majors, and the restrictions by the end of the year will no longer be a hindrance.
The fact that the Renegades will not be able to participate in the tournament was an unpleasant surprise for its fans, as the team has recently improved its results. In particular, she was able to qualify for IEM Cologne with a win over OG. The Australians had hoped to build on this success after the end of the summer break, but overseas travel rules imposed by the Australian authorities made it difficult to travel to the tournament.
As a replacement, the ESL Pro League organizers invited the Russian forZe, as it is next in the ESL World Ranking after the Aussies. ForZe will now be in Group B and will begin their appearance in the tournament on August 21-26.