Lynn Vision’s Pro League Blunder: Banned From Next ESL Tier 1!

Look Sports Media – Chinese Counter-Strike team Lynn Vision faces a harsh penalty: a ban from their next eligible Tier 1 ESL event. This stems from their withdrawal from ESL Pro League Season 22 due to Visa complications.

While Visa issues are typically considered "exceptional circumstances" under ESL’s rulebook (section 2.14.1), Lynn Vision failed to meet the criteria for exemption. ESL requires teams to provide official documentation proving Visa denial was beyond their control. In Lynn Vision’s case, their Visas had expired, a fact they had repeatedly failed to disclose to ESL despite assurances that their travel documents were valid.

ESL stated, "If unintentional, this oversight remains entirely unacceptable and does not fall under any of our exceptional circumstances (either medical emergency or visa complications)." The organization deemed Lynn Vision responsible for their absence, forcing ESL to find a last-minute replacement for Pro League.

The penalty: Lynn Vision is barred from the next Tier 1 event they would have received a VRS invitation for. This means their next opportunity to compete in a major ESL event is IEM Krakow 2026, marking the debut of the Polish IEM in Krakow’s Tauron Arena instead of Katowice.

Meanwhile, Virtus.pro narrowly avoided a similar ban. They were denied entry at the border due to medical insurance issues within the Schengen area. However, ESL determined that Virtus.pro’s documents were compliant with regulations, classifying their absence as an "exceptional circumstance."

ESL clarified, "We confirmed that all required travel documents were in order. However, two players were denied entry into Sweden, which qualifies as a visa complication under our exceptional circumstances clause. Therefore, no penalty will be applied."

Both Lynn Vision and Virtus.pro will bear the financial burden of securing their replacements, a standard practice according to ESL. Virtus.pro’s absence had significant ramifications, impacting Fnatic’s chances of securing crucial VRS points before the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 invite cutoff on October 6th. Virtus.pro’s misfortune opened a path for the British organization to qualify for the major.