Top-rated team pulls out of ECL playoffs

Sources close to the situation have confirmed to Dust2.us that MIBR have elected to pull out of ESL Challenger League Season 41 playoffs and will be replaced by Mythic in the bracket. The decision by the top-rated team in the league likely comes as a result of their busy schedule, which will see the team in Europe for ESL Pro League Conference Season 16, ESL Challenger Valencia, and IEM Cologne 2022 all within the next three weeks.

MIBR has found it increasingly difficult to manage their commitment to ECL alongside their increasingly busy tier two schedule. The team were unable to play any matches during the first five weeks of the regular season due to being in Europe prepping for the all-important PGL Antwerp Major. More recently, MIBR had to scramble to finish the season while attending IEM Dallas.

The long-form format of ECL is seemingly proving increasingly difficult for the Brazilians as they are regular invites to a number of events which have required them to leave NA for weeks on end, a unique problem in the semi-pro climate of NA ECL. With the team electing to pull out of ECL playoffs, it will now be harder for them to forge a path to ESL Pro League Season 17. However, if they keep up their form they are within striking distance of claiming an ESL World Ranking invite to the division so it may be a moot point.

With Mythic replacing MIBR, ECL Season 41 playoffs are now: