Dream visa troubles might still lock one of Team Liquid’s star VALORANT players, nAts, from reaching VALORANT Masters Toronto. The Russian disclosed it on social media, saying there’s still that very small chance of his arrival in time for the first match, but most probably, he won’t make it. This would go against the Team Liquid setup because nAts of a brilliant fragger and also someone who leads the team in-game.
Visa issues have become an ongoing nightmare for esports players, especially for those from countries with stricter travel restrictions. For Russia, it has indeed become quite a hurdle to get visas for these North American events-the same hurdle that has caused pain to multiple teams in the past. The comparison was just instant from fans, noting how Suygetsu from FPX also missed a major tournament in 2022 owing to similar issues.
The issue stirred up big controversy in online discussions, with some players accusing Riot of setting up events without sufficient time for visa processing; others argued the situation is not wholly within Riot’s control-anyway, countries like Russia, the Philippines, and India have generally, and at times, rather lengthy visa procedures that may even range into weeks or months, making it a gamble irrespective of how early the players actually start the process.
Therefore Team Liquid stands at a crossroads right now: should they go in without nAts, scurry for some last-minute filler, or just hold their breath? One or two fans joked that some random local Canadian could fill in; replacing nAts in leadership and firepower? Nah, not seriously, at least. The first match is just around the corner, and not having an IGL turns them into immediate underdogs.
Not the first time even sizable tournaments got disrupted by visa issues, and most certainly will not be the last. Improvements to take care of this situation are demanded by both players and organizations-especially possible before-end qualifiers to maximize applicant processing time or even reconsideration of event locations to minimize travel issues. And in between, all eyes will be on Team Liquid and nAts, waiting for the last-minute miracle or adaptation.
A few teams will be facing much greater barriers, getting all their players in one room for the fiercest competition that VALORANT Masters Toronto is going to be. Let’s hope for a solution, for no organizer wants a tournament decided by paperwork rather than skill.
