Fnatic is down to just Anucha “Jabz” Jirawong and Djardel “DJ” Mampusti to attend the PGL Arlington Dota 2 Major. The other three players in the lineup—Marc “Raven” Fausto, Armel “Armel” Tabios, and Jaunuel “Jaunuel” Arcilla have been ruled out because they couldn’t secure U.S. visas in time for the tournament.
“DOTA Update: Due to difficulties in obtaining US visas, we will be participating at the PGL Arlington Major with 3 substitutes,” Fnatic said on Twitter today. “Our PGL Arlington roster will be comprised of DJ and Jabz with three substitutes to be announced soon.”
The news comes as a huge blow to Fnatic’s hopes of doing well at the $500,000 PGL Arlington Major, which will run from Aug. 4 to 14 and feature 18 Dota 2 from all over the world. The Southeast Asian roster have already been facing mixed results throughout 2022 and their odds at PGL Arlington Major should be significantly slimmer with the absences of Raven, Armel, and Jaunuel.
Given that the Dota 2 tournament is right around the corner, it’s likely that Fnatic will not have the necessary time to practice with the three incoming emergency substitutes. They will be one of the three SEA teams in attendance at PGL Arlington Major alongside BOOM Esports and Talon Esports.
The PGL Arlington Major will split the 18 teams into two groups of nine each, and the top six of each group will make the playoffs.
