The Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament organiser, BLAST Premier, has made the decision to ban Russian-based teams from being able to compete in any of its tournaments, for the foreseeable future. Likewise, the upcoming CIS qualifier evnet has been cancelled, as BLAST affirms its support for Ukraine and its people in these dire times.
Revealed in a blog post, BLAST Premier stated:
"Due to the conflict in Ukraine, no Russian-based team will be invited to play in our events for the foreseeable future.
Our CIS qualifier, has now also been cancelled. We are sorry to the fans and players from the CIS region for this decision, but we do not think it is appropriate that this event goes ahead, at this time.
Gaming and esports unites people from all races, countries and beliefs. We hope the situation on the world stage reflects this as soon as possible."