The European team HEROIC will start their campaign at IEM Cologne 2024 without Abdul "degster" Gasanov, as the sniper was unable to obtain the necessary visa in time for the championship. This was reported by HLTV, citing representatives from the organisation.
It is still unclear whether the Russian esports player will be able to join his teammates during the tournament. In his place, HEROIC will bring in a stand-in, whose name has yet to be disclosed.
IEM Cologne 2024 will be the third tournament where HEROIC competes without degster. Due to visa issues, Gasanov missed IEM Dallas 2024 and was unable to attend BLAST Premier Fall Groups 2024. In Dallas, Niko "nicoodoz" Tamjid played in his stead, and in Copenhagen, HEROIC's coach Eetu "sAw" Saha stepped in.
IEM Cologne 2024 will take place from 7 to 18 August in Cologne, Germany, featuring 24 teams. The total prize pool for the event is $1 million.