Filipino Valorant Esport fans nationwide were collectively devastated when it was announced that the country’s very own BREN Esports would not be competing in the VCT Masters in Berlin, Germany. The team was unable to acquire the necessary VISAs that are needed to fly to Germany.
The BREN Esports’ Valorant team had proven themselves to be at the top of Southeast Asia after dominating Singapore’s Paper Rex in their finals match to become overall champions in the region. Reaching the finals in the SEA region also gave them the chance to compete against the top teams all over the world in the most highly anticipated Valorant tournament – the VCT Masters in Berlin. It is worth noting that they are the first and only Pinoy team to qualify for the tournament.
On the afternoon of September 3, rumors started swirling around the internet, with people claiming that BREN was having trouble acquiring their VISAs for Germany. Filipino Esports fans desperately pleaded for help from the government or any kind of authority, as #BringBRENToBerlin and #BRENlin became the top trending topic on Twitter in the Philippines.
They deserve more.
— Secret Razzie (@RealRazzieBinx) September 3, 2021
Make it happen! #BringBRENToBerlin pic.twitter.com/LxI2T0lvnX
— 𝐿𝑒𝓍𝒾𝑒 (@LexandriaG_) September 3, 2021
Even BREN’s opponents supported the hashtag, waiting for the opportunity to play against the top PH team.
We want to play against them!
— Heretics m1xwell (@Mixwell) September 3, 2021
Make it viral peeps. We want to see @BrenEsports in Berlin 😭 #BringBRENtoBerlin
— DRX VS (@DRX_VS) September 3, 2021
Surprisingly, a politician caught wind of the situation. Senator Bam Aquino tried his best to help BREN in their case.
We appreciate everyone who tagged us today. We reached out to our friends in the eSports community earlier & tried finding out how best to help. BREN's official announcement will be coming soon. Tuloy ang aming suporta sa eSports teams na nagtataas ng bandila ng Pilipinas!
— Bam Aquino (@bamaquino) September 3, 2021
Sadly, all that effort by BREN and the Filipino people was too late, as the deadline for acquiring VISAs was on the night of September 3. Having less than 24 hours to acquire a VISA is not enough for any normal situation, let alone for a team that comes from the Philippines. This country is considered high-risk by Germany as a result of the pandemic. Valorant Esport fans collectively sighed as the rumor became a reality.
Dubstep, a member of the BREN team, shared his thoughts about the situation.
To everyone, I appreciate you guys supporting us all the way and no one is to blame in this series of events. Quite unfortunate but surely we'll bounce back! Good night everyone.
— OAS DubsteP (@DubstePw0w) September 3, 2021
Despite the pain, we hope BREN and Philippine Esports can recover from this and learn from the mistakes made. This would also be a call to the Philippine government to improve their handling of the pandemic; because if the country weren’t high-risk, there would be no problem like this. But as Dubstep says:
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
— OAS DubsteP (@DubstePw0w) September 3, 2021
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