Mind Games and CIS Rejects managers comment on the situation with disqualification and EEU slot at the Major

Team managers Gleb “cenra” Antokhin (representing CIS Rejects) and Daniel “GaRRaT” Muhametzyanov (of Mind Games) have provided detailed accounts of the escalating visa complications that ultimately prevented Mind Games from competing at ESL One Stockholm Dota Major 2022. Their testimonies reveal systemic communication failures within tournament operations.

According to Antokhin’s account, his squad featuring Roman “RAMZES” Kushnarev stood ready as potential replacements but encountered repeated administrative delays from ESL officials who failed to provide timely responses to critical inquiries.

I want to clarify several important points before detailing the timeline. These statements represent my personal perspective, originally shared via Telegram. I personally handled all negotiations with ESL representatives while advocating for my team’s competitive interests. Secondly, I acknowledge we didn’t earn our spot at the Major through regional qualifiers. Any discussion of perceived unfairness must be contextualized by this reality. I never attempted to leverage the visa situation to unfairly advance my team’s position. Finally, I hold no grievances against Mind Games players, management, or organizational leadership. Quite the opposite – I deeply regret that CIS regional representation was diminished at this highly anticipated spectator event.

April 28: Our team submitted visa applications alongside other CIS squads. While waiting, I observed representatives from HR, PuckChamp, and recognized that every organization faced similar travel uncertainties. Spirit and BetBoom, to my understanding, filed their paperwork on April 26th. All participating teams initiated the process well ahead of time, despite only three regional slots being available, demonstrating widespread concern about documentation requirements. This represents standard procedure for handling international travel documentation. Additionally, in late March, Valve proactively contacted all qualified teams, emphasizing the critical importance of early visa resolution.

May 2: We were eliminated from Major qualification through legitimate competitive results. However, upon learning that certain Mind Games members lacked proper travel documentation, I immediately emailed ESL proposing our availability as potential substitutes if necessary. On May 4th, an ESL administrator responded indicating organizational interest. They requested verification of our visa statuses and completion of supplementary paperwork. The bureaucratic process commenced, requiring extensive information submission. Progress appeared steady initially. I received assurances that definitive information regarding our participation status would arrive by evening on May 6th. The ESL representative initially requested patience but subsequently ceased communication entirely. Silence became the prevailing response. I escalated by contacting additional ESL personnel through Discord, locating an organizer who guaranteed complete clarification by May 8th evening. This timing likely related to Russian holiday schedules complicating further administrative action. I reasoned: “May 9-10 should provide adequate preparation time for Stockholm travel if Mind Games couldn’t resolve their documentation challenges”. However, on May 8th, ESL administration informed me the deadline had been postponed to May 10th. <…>

May 10: I received another notification: “We’re extending the timeframe for Mind Games until 4 p.m. on May 11th”. This left merely 21 hours before Major commencement, creating fundamentally unreasonable logistical circumstances. With under 24 hours until tournament start, organizers remained uncertain about participating team composition. I inquired: “Can you confirm this represents the absolute final deadline? The last Stockholm-bound departure from Moscow departs at 11:50 p.m.”. I received absolute assurances against further extensions. ESL proposed relocating our non-Moscow based players to the capital, covering accommodation and transportation expenses. Should we ultimately not compete, return travel would be organizationally funded. While financially reasonable, the strategic logic remained questionable – why initiate premature travel without confirmed participation?

The outcome: May 11th, 4 p.m. MieRo, residing in Barnaul, had already missed the sole morning Moscow flight following the May 10th deadline announcement. That morning he hired transportation, traveling from Barnaul to Novosibirsk [230 km] to catch the only available Moscow connection covering 3,000 kilometers before potential Stockholm travel. RodjER simultaneously proceeded toward Sochi airport awaiting my updates, as promised by 4 p.m. By 4:15 p.m., boarding procedures for the Novosibirsk-Moscow flight were concluding. Our offlaner remained prepared for boarding. At 4:10 p.m., airport staff began urging immediate action. I attempted contacting ESL through multiple channels. No response.

I contemplated: “What’s happening? Either he boards immediately for Stockholm travel, or we receive cancellation notification mid-flight necessitating 3,000 kilometer return travel”. An untenable situation. At 4:10 p.m., administrative staff finally responded: “Players should proceed with travel arrangements. If circumstances change, they’ll simply return”.

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Who is IAMMIND?

Antokhin emphasized that ESL administrators postponed response deadlines on four separate occasions while maintaining information opacity. He expressed significant dissatisfaction with tournament organizer staff professionalism.

ESL repeatedly extended deadlines, consistently providing optimistic assurances while keeping us in operational limbo. Furthermore, several players maintained bootcamp presence throughout this period, covering living expenses independently. Another consideration: we operate without organizational infrastructure. Most operational costs derive from personal resources. While sponsorship exists, many expenses remain uncompensated <…> I concluded this represented either organizational disrespect or administrative negligence from ESL. Most plausibly, simple professional incompetence. I determined the situation had become unsustainable and instructed players to return home. However, the decisive factor prompting this determination emerged from contacting Mind Games management directly.

I apologize for referencing private correspondence, but this proved crucial. Their manager indicated visa acquisition around 12 p.m. on May 11th with complete clarity expected. Subsequently, he revised estimates to 2-3 p.m. Then additional time requirements emerged. I comprehend his position. Most likely, he received organizational assurances about resolution. Actually, his responsiveness proved valuable. Consequently, we accepted the operational reality. We’re not Major participants because we didn’t competitively qualify and due to ESL administrative failures. <…>

I cannot comprehend ESL’s inability to establish definitive deadlines when regional teams addressed visa considerations proactively. In my assessment, the Major represents an exceptionally significant competitive opportunity for our region, particularly with live audience presence. We received qualification participation opportunities with explicit visa preparation expectations. Nevertheless, this became the operational outcome. <…> I regret that SlayeR and Bignum couldn’t tournament participation due to Ukrainian situation complications preventing visa acquisition. Yet ESL continued providing optimistic projections while maintaining, essentially speaking, restrictive operational control. We remained completely uncertain about developments throughout the week. <…>

This represents an unprecedented Dota 2 competitive circumstance where, with under 24 hours remaining, tournament organizers couldn’t determine appropriate action. I understand and support their competitive philosophy favoring qualified team participation. Still, definitive resolution timelines should have been established.

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Mind Games manager Daniel “GaRRaT” Mukhametzyanov provided comprehensive explanation regarding their organizational perspective during a Sports.ru interview. They implemented every conceivable measure for Major participation. The primary complication involved insufficient preparation timeframes. The EEU DPC Playoffs announcement occurred with excessive suddenness.

On April 26th they released fn and 7jesu and urgently recruited replacement players. Given these roster modifications, Mind Games considered Major participation logistically unachievable. They initiated documentation verification procedures only when qualification probabilities substantially improved. Presumably following Outsiders disqualification. Despite Dinozarvrik lacking passport documentation, management rapidly resolved that complication. The determining factor became last-minute visa rejection from Swedish consular authorities.

We executed all feasible and theoretically impossible measures for Major attendance. All team members expressed extraordinary enthusiasm about tournament travel. <…> Yes, we were aware of CIS Rejects availability 5-6 days pre-tournament. Primarily, we maintained confidence regarding visa approval. Secondly, collective motivation for participation remained extremely high.

<…> We prepared every available resource. We maintained readiness for immediate departure upon visa confirmation. We even arranged helicopter transport to border locations for automotive transition. <…> Ultimately, we became the Rejected party, not the CIS region.

On May 13th, Mind Games received disqualification from ESL One Stockholm Dota Major 2022 due to unresolved visa complications forcing tournament forfeiture. MG’s disqualification transformed Group B competitive dynamics, leaving teams competing primarily for seeding positions with only one elimination slot available.

Mind Games disqualified from Stockholm Major, “casting a shadow on entire region”

The Stockholm Major visa crisis represents a critical case study in tournament organizer communication protocols. Professional esports events require established contingency planning for international travel complications, particularly involving regions with complex diplomatic relationships. The repeated deadline extensions created impossible logistical scenarios for backup teams, forcing players to undertake extensive travel without participation confirmation.

Common Organizational Mistakes: Tournament organizers frequently underestimate the timeframes required for visa processing, especially during geopolitical tensions. The optimal approach involves establishing clear alternative team activation timelines at least 72 hours before tournament commencement. This allows adequate preparation time while maintaining competitive integrity.

Practical Team Preparation Strategy: Qualified teams should initiate visa applications immediately upon qualification confirmation, not waiting for official invitations. Maintaining updated passports and preparing supplementary documentation in advance can prevent last-minute disqualifications.

The financial implications for organizations like CIS Rejects operating without major sponsorship demonstrate the precarious nature of competitive esports. Teams invest significant personal resources maintaining bootcamp facilities and player readiness, making last-minute disqualifications particularly damaging beyond mere competitive opportunity loss.

No reproduction without permission：Game Guides » Mind Games and CIS Rejects managers comment on the situation with disqualification and EEU slot at the Major Inside the ESL Stockholm Major visa crisis: How communication failures led to team disqualifications and regional impact