MOUZ to play with lorenof at FISSURE Playground 2 as MidOne hits visa trouble

Visa trouble again hits professional Dota 2 as Hamburg, Germany-based esports team MOUZ announces that AVULUS midlaner Artem “lorenof” Melnyk will be standing-in for that them to replace Yeik “MidOne” Nai Zheng at FISSUREPlayground 2.

The news came on Oct. 22, just a day before the start of the tournament on Oct. 23, revealed by posts by MOUZ. The million-dollar prize pool tournament will take place in Belgrade, Serbia, pitting some of the best Dota 2 teams from around the globe against each other.

MidOne misses FISSURE Playground 2 as lorenof stands in

Despite the stacked field of teams, MOUZ will have to play without veteran mid player MidOne. The Malaysian pro is one of Southeast Asia’s most recognizable and decorated players, having been a stalwart on a series of Team Secret rosters during his career. He joined MOUZ in September as part of a new roster aiming to qualify for DreamLeague Season 27.

However, due to visa issues, Midone will miss the FISSURE Playground 2, a tournament the team had been invited to after a second place finish the regional Western European qualifiers. No additional details were given.

In his place, AVULUS midlaner lorenof will join MOUZ for the event in Belgrade. AVULUS narrowly missed out on qualifying to the event, coming third place behind Virtus.pro and MOUZ in the qualifiers.

Both MOUZ and AVULUS represent rising powers in the Western European Dota 2 region. While AVULUS are firmly in the second rung of the region, MOUZ’ recent performance at BLAST Slam 4 has shot them into playoff contention in a top-tier tournament, with their record putting them ahead of the likes of Team Liquid and BetBoom Team.

Even with a core part of the roster missing, MOUZ will likely be one to watch over the next few months. FISSURE Playground 2 kicks on of Oct. 23 and runs until Nov. 2. Stick with Jaxon.gg for more Dota 2 coverage and news.

Featured Image Credit: Esports World Cup