Wildcard have confirmed the addition of Jake "Stewie2K" Yip for the upcoming PGL Astana North American closed qualifier. The organization’s announcement did not specify how long he will stay on the roster or which player he will replace.
If Stewie2K steps in for Aran "Sonic" Groesbeek, Tim "susp" Ångström, or Love "phzy" Smidebrant, Wildcard could restore a North American majority. Valve’s rules dictate that teams with mixed-region lineups must receive invites from the strongest possible region. This means Wildcard would be compelled to take a European invite rather than a North American one if they fail to remain in the top five of the Americas ranking, which guarantees a direct Stage 2 slot at the Major.
Because this is Wildcard’s final event before the Major invite cut-off date on April 7, the roster change lets the team enter the North American MRQ and avoid competing in Europe.
The PGL Astana qualifier will also mark Stewie2K’s first return to action since his IEM Dallas stand-in performance for G2, where he helped secure an unexpected title despite posting a 0.85 rating.
Wildcard have been placed in Group A and will kick off their campaign against Daaku on Wednesday.
