Sharks Esports misses 2022 BLAST CS:GO tournament due to plane ticket mix-up
Brazilian CS:GO squad Sharks Esports has reportedly withdrawn from the BLAST Premier Spring Showdown 2022 North America. According to a report, the team failed to make it to the tournament due to travel arrangements issues.
The team was scheduled to compete in the online tournament on Monday in Monterrey, Mexico. Yet, on arrival at the airport, they were notified that there was a problem with the tickets booked by the organizer of BLAST’s South American qualifier, FiReSPORTS. Sharks in-game leader Jhonatan “jnt” Silva said on Twitter that the problem was caused by an incorrect purchase of tickets.
Unfortunately, BLAST was unable to get an alternative flight that would get the squad to their destination in time for their first-round match against FURIA in the single-elimination tournament on April 28. BLAST Premier officially announced the news on Twitter.
“Due to travel complications, @sharksesportsgg are unable to compete in the Americas Spring Showdown, we have invited the team to Fall Showdown later this year. @atkesportsgg will instead take their place and face @FURIA in tomorrow’s match!” the tweet reads.
The incident was a letdown for Sharks. In the grand final of FiReLEAGUE Latin Power Spring 2022, they defeated Imperial to advance to the BLAST Showdown 2022. This would have been their first international appearance of the year. In 2021, Sharks competed in the New Challengers Stage of the PGL Major Stockholm, where they finished in last place with a 0-3 record.
ATK will play FURIA in the opening match
Sharks’ absence from the tournament was a big blow for the team as they did not have the opportunity to compete outside of South America this year.
Sharks last competed outside of their region last year when they took part in the PGL Stockholm Major and EPL Season 15 Conference, spending around a 2-month period playing in Europe. They were supposed to have their international debut at BLAST Premier Spring Showdown 2022 North America on April 28, 2022.
Now, however, FURIA will face another opponent as ATK, the runners-up of Ace North American Masters Spring 2022, will replace Sharks in the Spring Showdown. It will certainly be a pleasure for ATK to receive the invitation, but there is still a lot of work ahead of them.
In the BLAST Premier Spring Showdown, players compete in a best of three single-elimination brackets. Only one spot is available in the BLAST Premier Spring Finals. Therefore, there isn’t much room for error. In addition to that, in their opening game, ATK will face FURIA, a team on a winning spree after dominating the Americas RMR.
BLAST Premier Spring Showdown 2022 North America will be held from April 27 and May 1, 2022. There are eight teams from North and South America competing for a prize pool of $67,000, rating points, and a ticket to BLAST Premier: Spring Finals 2022 this June in Lisbon, Europe.
BLAST compensates Sharks by giving them a spot in the Fall Showdown tournament, which runs from October 19-23, 2022. This year’s North American BLAST Premier Spring Showdown 2022 kicks off today, April 28, 2022, with GODSENT and Evil Geniuses facing off in the opening match.