GeekFam withdraw from ESL One Hamburg, replaced by Alliance

gabhernandez Published 17/10/2019

Southeast Asian Dota 2 team GeekFam has had to withdraw from its participation in ESL One Hamburg due to ongoing visa issues.

Two weeks ago, GeekFam successfully qualified for ESL One Hamburg 2019, an event taking place outside of the upcoming 2019-20 Dota Pro Circuit. The team finished the qualifier with a clean 3-0 sweep versus SG Dragons to claim the coveted ticket to Hamburg.

ESL One tournaments have a lot at stake. With a $300,000 USD prize pool, top-tier teams do not take this tournament lightly. Fans might even see another MVP take home a brand-new Mercedes Benz car, as has been the case in the past.

However, visa issues can always be a hindrance for teams and players looking to achieve their goals internationally. The industry requires a lot of traveling and pro esports players and personalities often face visa challenges. Each petition is reviewed on a case-by-case basis and those review processes do not guarantee approval.

GeekFam’s denied visa application chalked up another case on this prevailing issue in esports.

Alliance steps in at ESL One Hamburg 2019

ESL has since announced that European team Alliance will replace GeekFam in the tournament. The newly formed Alliance roster recently qualified for the MDL Chengdu Major. The team took the first spot after knocking down the new Team Liquid, who themselves formerly played under the Alliance banner, in the upper bracket finals.

Team Liquid bounced back and stomped Ninjas in Pyjamas in a 2-0 fashion. The MDL Chengdu Major is the first Dota Pro Circuit major tournament and the main event will be getting underway in November.

Alliance seemed to be a good replacement, though the team does not represent the Southeast Asia region. Fans are excited to see a rematch between the ex-Alliance team at Team Liquid and the new one currently representing the former TI championship organization.

“As much as we wanted to invite another SEA team, it would unfortunately be impossible for them to obtain a VISA on such short notice,” ESL said.

ESL One Hamburg 2019 will begin on October 25 at Barclaycard Arena, Germany.

Read Also

Dota 2

ESIC hand down ruling in EWC Dota match-fixing case: Lifetime ban for coach as DarkMago gets a nickel Michael Hassall South American Dota 2 player Gonzalo "DarkMago" Herrera will be banned for five years from competitive Dota 2, with his coach Juan "Vintage" Angulo banned permanently, following the results of an The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) investigation. ESIC handed down the findings and rulings from its investigation into match-fixing allegations leveled at members of South American Dota 2 team PlayTime during the Esports World Cup on Sep. 10, in a ...

News

Polystrike Turns a Dota 2 Mod Into a Standalone Tactical Shooter Hannan Mundia After the community-made mod found success within the community, developer and publisher Robin Entertainment has decided to turn Polystrike into a proper standalone game. Community-made mods of games finding success within the respective game’s community is nothing new. However, only a handful of those mods are able to go on and become a standalone game. One of the more recent examples is The Forgotten City, which started as a mod ...

Dota 2

Team Spirit wins TI15 to lift a record third Aegis of Champions Michael Hassall Team Spirit has defeated TEAM VISION in the grand finals of TI15, The International 2025. In a full five-game series on Aug. 23, Spirit pulled out all the stops and narrowly defeated an incredible VISION team in a back-and-forth series in Shanghai, China. With Spirit’s victory, Illya "Yatoro" Mulyarchuk and Magomed "Collapse" Khalilov become the first ever three-time TI champions, and Team Spirit becomes the first ever organization to lift ...

Dota 2

The International 2026 (TI15) Finals Preview and Predictions Michael Hassall The International 2026, TI15, has reached its final day, and just three teams remain in the fight for the Aegis of Champions. With the lower bracket final and Grand Final still to come, everything comes down to one final day of Dota 2 action. The lower bracket finalists will first battle for the right to reach the main event’s final series, while the winner will advance to face the upper-bracket ...

Dota 2

TI15’s opening ceremony weaves a tapestry of emotion for Valve’s storied title Michael Hassall The main stage of The International 2026, TI15, kicked off today with the traditional opening ceremony heralding the start of the biggest celebration of Dota 2 on the calendar. On Aug. 20 fans in Shanghai, China, and at home, were treated to a rousing 11-minute series of performances and video packages, introducing TI15’s main stage show. Here’s how the magic unfolded: The ceremony began with a graphic which quite literally ...

Dota 2

The International 2026 (TI15) Playoffs preview and predictions Michael Hassall The Group Stage of The International 2026, TI15, is in the books and we’ve whittled down 16 of the world’s best Dota 2 teams to just eight finalists. One of these talented lineups will be the ones lifting the Aegis of Champions come Sunday, Aug. 23, but until then, there’s plenty of playoff shenanigans that could go on. Below we’ve put together a preview of the upcoming Playoff Games, along ...

News

The Esports Nations Cup Has Been Postponed to November 2027 Ben Boland The 2026 Esports Nations Cup has been suspended until 2027. The Esports Foundation announced the delay on August 18, citing ongoing regional uncertainty. The inaugural competition was scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, comprising over 100 national teams and featuring 16 different games, including League of Legends. According to the Esports Foundation, this decision follows ongoing developments in the region and consultation with key stakeholders. Moving the event ...