PGL Allows B8 To Play NA DPC In A Controversial Move

The organization contradicts its own rules by allowing a European-only roster to play in the North American region

PGL has controversially allowed B8 Esports, a team that only has European players on its roster, to participate in the North American region. The rule dictates that a team must have a regional majority roster to become eligible for participating in a certain region. The DPC organizers, however, have greenlit B8 to enter the NA DPC region, even though they don’t have any North American players.

B8 faces travel restrictions due to a new law in Ukraine. As a result, they will be playing the DPC 2023 NA Summer Tour from their home country.#PGLDPC

— PGL (@pglesports) May 13, 2023

Unsurprisingly, this has led to a heated debate in the Dota 2 community. PGL explains that it has granted this special allowance to B8 because of Ukraine’s wartime travel restrictions. The clarification, however, has failed to satisfy many professionals and fans. The disqualification of Fart Studios from the NA DPC region because of enlisting three non-NA players has further intensified the controversy.

Dude, you literally force a disqualification to Fart Studios due to not being in the assigned region. Now you allow a team to compete the whole tour from another continent?

— KyuVan #ImpactoSolar (@KyuVanD2) May 13, 2023

Completly unfair for fart studios who were a team of American player, maybe some were in different continents but it doesn’t change the fact that they go disqualified while b8 is full ciz playing from cis region 🤡

— ÄrenDota (@DrKrul85) May 13, 2023

The law PGL refers to is the new decree imposed by the Ukrainian Ministry of Youth and Sports that prohibits Ukrainian athletes from taking part in international competitions if athletes from Russia or Belarus are in the mix.

Gaimin Gladiators star Quinn “Quinn” Callahan also voiced his discontent regarding the decision.