The Danish esports organization Sashi has made unexpected temporary changes to its roster, signing Australian players Tynan "TjP" Purtell and Jordan "Hatz" Bajic. The primary goal of this move is to transition to the Asian region in the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) to increase their chances of qualifying for the PGL Major Singapore.
Since Sashi player Anton "Anlelele" Huynh holds Vietnamese citizenship, the addition of two Australians creates an Asian majority in the team. This will allow the squad to jump from 54th place in the European VRS directly to fifth place in the Asian rankings, automatically placing them in the qualification zone. According to current projections, the team's chances of reaching the Major are currently estimated at 13%.
The organization's management makes no secret that this is a strictly temporary decision. For the coming month, core players Mikkel "MistR" Thomsen and Casper "Cabbi" Jensen have been moved to the bench. The revamped roster will debut this Wednesday in the closed qualifier for 1win Private Club Season 2, and next week the team will participate in the Stake Pulse Beat III tournament in Stockholm.
Sashi's attempt to exploit loopholes in the VRS rules, following in the footsteps of BC.Game and WW, has provoked severe criticism within the industry. Falcons star Nikola "NiKo" Kovač publicly urged Valve to intervene in the situation.
Meanwhile, Daniel "Mavrick" Lang, the founder of the Australian esports production company Dfrag, warned that such manipulations by European organizations jeopardize the future of Asian and Oceanic Counter-Strike. According to him, projects that switch regions mid-season contribute nothing to the development of local ecosystems, crush the chances of local players to succeed, and only widen the gap between Europe and the rest of the world.
Sashi's current roster for the qualification period:
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