Natus Vincere’s mid laner Iceberg and hard support ALWAYSWANNAFLY have contracted COVID-19 and will be unable to play in the Dota 2 Singapore Major scheduled for next week, the team announced today.
Former Virtus Pro and Evil Geniuses star RAMZES will join Na’Vi in Singapore, while the roster’s coach Andrey “Mag” Chipenko will step up to fill the final active slot.
Na’Vi’s manager Sergey Bykovsky said the team will adjust roles and responsibilities as the team plays. The two stand-ins are not the best fit on paper; RAMZES is most well-known for his hard-carry prowess and a brief stint in the offlane on EG, while coach Mag specialized in the off lane during his active playing days. The two will be replacing Na’Vi’s mid laner and hard support, but the team will still lack ALWAYSWANNFLY’s captaining capabilities.
Iceberg and ALWAYSWANNAFLY’s affliction means the Singapore Major might be lacking the full strength of the top two CIS teams. The region’s first seed VP, who went undefeated in the Regional League upper division, announced on March 18 its position one, Nightfall, fell ill. The player tested negative for COVID-19, but the org still brought in iLTW as a potential substitute as a precaution.
The Singapore Major is scheduled to kick off March 27, with the grand finals set for April 4. While Na’Vi will not be at full strength, they still have a tough group stage gauntlet, running the risk of elimination before they even reach the playoffs featuring the top 12 teams in the world.
