The esports powerhouse FURIA just got hit with a major hurdle. They announced Wednesday evening that a key player and new coaching staff won’t be available for the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) Americas – Stage 2 kickoff. This marks a difficult start to their campaign.
This isn’t the first time the team has faced visa problems. Luis “basic” Henrique, a new player, and the fresh coaching duo, Ian “shaW” Jardim and Lucas “Kamino” Kamino, cannot join the team. Their absence will be felt deeply. These three were meant to be crucial additions for the rest of the 2025 season. They will miss the opening match this Friday at 6 PM against Cloud9.
The organization made the news public on X, formerly Twitter. They stated they are actively working to get the necessary work visas for the United States, where the tournament takes place. Benjamín “Adverso” Poblete will step in for basic temporarily. FURIA mentioned they are getting legal support and working with Riot Games. They hope to solve these issues before their second game, scheduled for July 25, against the Sentinels.
Comunicado sobre a #FURIAVAL na estreia da Etapa 2 do #VCTAmericas pic.twitter.com/gpJCXfzyQe
— FURIA (@FURIA) July 15, 2025
Coach Defends the Organization
The gaming community quickly began criticizing FURIA. This isn’t an isolated incident for the team. Earlier this year, they had to field an all-American roster for the Kickoff event. New signings back then also couldn’t get their visas in time. This issue isn’t unique to FURIA either; other teams like 2GAME have also encountered similar problems.
ShaW, the new coach, also posted on X to address the criticism. He explained that FURIA is doing everything possible to fix the situation. He has been closely involved in the process for his own visa and the players’. He stressed that these matters are beyond their control. Bringing players from other countries to compete abroad is always a big challenge, he noted.
“Guys I’m asking one thing, FURIA is doing everything on their part. I’ve been following the whole process related to my visa and the boys’, unfortunately we have no control over any of this, this is always a dilemma when taking Brazilian players abroad.” – Shaw
Guys vou pedir uma única coisa, por parte da Furia tudo está sendo feito, eu tenho acompanhado todo o processo relativo tanto ao meu visto quanto dos meninos, infelizmente não temos controle com nada disso, esse é sempre um dilema em levar jogadores Brasileiros para fora.
— FURIA shaW (@shaw_vlr) July 16, 2025