Gambit Esports have declined their invite to the ESL One Cologne 2017 qualifiers, and will be giving their slot to Tricked Esport.
Gambit declined their invitation for the closed qualifier, which will take place on May 20-21 with 12 teams battling for two slots in the main event.
“We regret to inform that Gambit CS:GO is forced to decline an invitation to ESL One Cologne Closed Qualifier. For as much as we would like to be a part of this event, it is not possible for us to compete in the qualifier.” Said Gambit in a statement.
“Given our intense tournament schedule in April – early May (StarSeries Season 3, cs_summit, DreamHack Austin and DreamHack Tours) we planned a prolonged vacation in May to recharge our batteries and begin an intensive preparation for an upcoming Kraków Major and other tournaments along the way, including DreamHack Summer.
We would like to issue an apology to fans who expected to see us competing in Cologne and ESL for an opportunity to qualify and being forced to find a last minute replacement for our team.”
While fans may be disappointed, it’s good to see an esports team acknowledge the need for rest during a busy season. ESL One Cologne takes place on July 7-9, and teams in the main event will be competing for a share of a $250,000 prize pool.