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ESL Pro League Season 22 has seen some major last-minute roster shake-ups, with two teams pulling out under very different circumstances and their spots quickly being filled.

Chinese side Lynn Vision were forced to withdraw after being unable to field a complete roster, opening the door for Spanish organisation Gentle Mates to step in. Meanwhile, Virtus.pro’s campaign came to an abrupt halt after three of their players were turned away at the Swedish border, paving the way for ENCE to join the tournament instead.

Gentle Mates replace Lynn Vision

ESL confirmed that Lynn Vision would not be attending Pro League, citing their inability to bring a full line-up. Gentle Mates, who were next in line under ESL’s “last-minute replacements” rule, accepted the invitation.

The choice came after several other European teams were ruled out. Ninjas in Pyjamas, SAW and BetBoom were ineligible for declining earlier qualifier invites, while fnatic were asked first but declined the replacement slot.

The sudden call-up comes at a difficult time for Gentle Mates, who were competing at the Birch Cup in Gdańsk, Poland. With the Pro League kicking off in Sweden on the same weekend, the squad had to make the tough decision to withdraw from Birch.

Head coach Eloy “deLonge” Suárez expressed frustration with the scheduling clash, taking to X to criticise Birch organisers for refusing to allow a replacement team at their event. “No team should be penalised for getting invited to a higher-tier event that represents a huge opportunity in their professional growth,” he said.

Virtus.pro denied entry, ENCE take their place

Later the same day, Virtus.pro also had to withdraw, this time under far more dramatic circumstances. The Russian squad revealed that three of their players were denied entry into Sweden after border officials flagged their medical insurance as insufficient. Although the organisation scrambled to arrange new policies, their visas were revoked before they could resolve the issue.

This setback is a huge blow for Virtus.pro’s hopes of securing a spot at the upcoming StarLadder Budapest Major. They are currently projected to sit 15th out of 16 possible European qualifying spots, with several rivals still in contention to overtake them.

Their slot at Pro League has now gone to ENCE, who were competing at the Birch Cup alongside Gentle Mates. Just like the Spanish squad, ENCE are now expected to abandon their Polish campaign in order to make it to Sweden in time for their opening match against M80.

A chaotic lead-up to Pro League

The back-to-back withdrawals highlight the unpredictable nature of international esports competition, where scheduling conflicts and travel logistics can turn into major roadblocks.

For Gentle Mates and ENCE, however, the replacements are a golden opportunity to showcase themselves on one of Counter-Strike’s biggest stages. With Pro League matches starting this Sunday, both squads face a quick turnaround to prepare.

How they handle the sudden shift could have a huge impact not only on their Pro League campaigns but also on their chances of making it to the Budapest Major.