Four esports players have threatened to boycott the media day for the BLAST Premier Fall Final 2024 in protest against the replacement of Alexander "br0" Bro with Casper "cadiaN" Møller in the Astralis roster, a move that may violate competition regulations.
The players involved are Dan "apEX" Madeskler, Russell "Twistzz" Van Daalken, Finn "karrigan" Andersen, and Marco "Snappi" Pfieffer. It has been confirmed that both apEX and Snappi followed through on their threats and did not attend the photoshoot before the tournament.
The conflict arose after Astralis made a roster change post-lock, citing medical reasons for br0’s absence. Astralis management claimed that br0 was unable to compete due to health issues, which allowed them to replace him with cadiaN. However, br0’s agent later revealed that the player was in good health and ready to participate. Following this revelation, several teams reportedly attempted to contest the replacement but were unsuccessful; BLAST not only upheld their decision but also declined to provide any comments, citing confidentiality.
As a result, the captains of Vitality, Liquid, FaZe, and Falcons took the situation public by refusing to participate in the BLAST Premier Fall Final 2024 media day, prompting a response from the organisers. BLAST released the following statement:
"Astralis stated that br0 is not in a condition to compete in the Fall Final. We cannot disclose any details due to confidentiality. We have never required teams to provide medical certificates, as we respect and take their explanations at face value, as we always have. We are currently seeking further clarification from Astralis on this matter, and if we deem it necessary, we will consider the possibility of applying sanctions/penalties."
The BLAST Premier Fall Final 2024 will take place from 25 to 29 September in Copenhagen, Denmark, with a total prize pool of $425,000, which will be distributed among the eight participating teams. The winning team will also secure a spot in the BLAST Premier World Final 2024.