Top Esports (TES) toplaner Cheng ‘ZUIAN’ Zi-Hao looks set to miss his first League of Legends World Championship.
According to a Weibo post from the team, the LPL All-Pro first-team toplaner’s visa interview was rejected twice.
When Riot Games announced that Worlds would be held in the United States, some feared that Donald Trump’s stricter border control would lead to this issue.
Though during First Stand earlier this year, Riot’s global head of LoL esports Chris Greeley insisted Riot would work with teams to avoid this.
369 Set to Return With ZUIAN Absent
TES’ announcement also revealed that veteran toplaner Bai ‘369’ Jia-Hao would return to take ZUIAN’s place.
“ZUIAN is temporarily unable to travel with the team to the host location at the earliest opportunity. 369 will join the starting lineup.
“At the same time, the team and ZUIAN are doing everything they can to secure a third visa interview.
“The club will continue to do its utmost to explore the possibility of participating in S16 together with ZUIAN, while also actively adjusting our training schedule and tactical preparations to deal with this unexpected situation.”
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Toplaner 369 has a wealth of experience, having participated in five previous World Championships, including the last two with TES.
However, the 25-year-old hasn’t played a competitive match since March, after stepping away for a break from competitive play.
And according to rumours posted on Weibo and translated by Twitter user @lolvaleiker it’s possible that TES will only have one coach at Worlds this year too.
It’s claimed that head coach Chang ‘Poppy’ Po-Hao is the only one to receive a visa so far, with He ‘BoBo’ Wen-Bo having his second interview rejected and Li ‘Leo’ Yu-Ming still trying for a second interview.
What are your thoughts on visa issues potentially disrupting Worlds? Let us know on the Insider Gaming Discord.
Meanwhile, the dates for every Worlds 206 draw have been confirmed. And for even more Insider Gaming delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.
An esports journalist for nine years with a focus on LoL Jack has written for national newspapers, interviewed major names, and driven people mad with puns. He's most proud of…
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