Neon Esports will have to carry on without its carry heading to the ONE Esports Singapore Major.
This, as Neon Esports core John Anthony “Natsumi-” Vargas was deemed ‘unfit to travel’ by the organization.
“Unfortunately, John Anthony ‘Natsumi-‘ Vargas is unfit to travel with us to the Singapore Major. While this means he won’t be joining us in Singapore, he is still very much part of our team and we wish that he gets well as soon as possible,” Neon Esports CEO Robert Campbell wrote in a statement.
But the organization cleared that Natsumi-, a Southeast Asian Games gold medalist, is still part of Neon Esports’ future.
This will be a tough blow for the lone all-Filipino squad as they gun for a spot in the Singapore Major playoffs after getting a direct invite in the group stage. Natsumi-‘s presence will surely be missed as his consistency powered Neon Esports’ rise in the Southeast Asia region.
The squad tapped a familiar face to fill in for the 19-year-old rising star. Rafael “Rappy” Palo, who played for almost two years with Neon Esports, will complete the roster for the Singapore Majors.
“The good news is that Rafael ‘Rappy’ Palo has agreed to stand-in with us. Rappy has played over 1000 games with Neon and we feel his experience and synergy make him the best choice for us. We hope that you fans will continue to support us during this difficult time.”
Just a few days ago, the entire Philippine contingent for the Singapore Majors hit a snag as the government banned the entry of foreign nationals and returning overseas Filipinos who are non-overseas workers into the country starting March 20 until April 19.
The first Major this year is slated from March 27 to April 4.
But a revised memo reversing the ban was released three days after which finally gave the go signal for Neon Esports, Fnatic’s Polo “Raven” Fausto and Djardel “Dj” Mampusti; T1’s Carlo “Kuku” Palad and Karl “Karl” Jayme; and Evil Geniuses’ Abed “Abed” Yusop.
Neon Esports will be facing Alliance, Team Aster, NaVi, Quincy Crew, and Thunder Predator, along with the top two qualifiers from the wild card phase, in the group stages.
