Sashi Esport recently confirmed the temporary signing of Australian players Tynan “TjP” Purtell and Jordan “Hatz” Bajic. By combining these players with Anton “Anlelele” Huynh, who holds Vietnamese citizenship, the Danish organization formed a core eligible for the Asian Valve Regional Standings. This roster change allows Sashi to bypass the European qualification circuit for the PGL Major Singapore.
The move triggered immediate pushback from prominent figures within the Counter-Strike professional scene, with multiple voices calling for developer intervention to close existing qualification loopholes.
Professionals criticize dual nationality rules
The Counter-Strike community reacted swiftly to the roster adjustment. Professional player Nikola “NiKo” Kovač directed his message straight at the developers on social media, stating, “It’s not too late to do something about this @CounterStrike”.
This frustration was shared by 100 Thieves head of operations Graham “messioso” Pitt, who delivered a sharp critique of the current ecosystem. He described the move as “Absolutely fucking disgraceful,” and urged the developer to act immediately.
By transitioning to the Asian circuit, Sashi’s existing points tally positions them high enough to enter the qualification zone for the Singapore Major. The organization openly stated the roster move is temporary, benching regular starters Casper “Cabbi” Jensen and Mikkel “MistR” Thomsen for the coming month to facilitate the qualification run.
Broadcasting talent suggests structural fixes
While professional players and management focused on the immediate fallout, others suggested mechanical changes to the rulebook to prevent similar situations. Counter-Strike caster DarfMike proposed a systemic adjustment to deter organizations from executing transfers solely for financial gain through Major stickers.
He suggested a new format to combat the exploit, stating, “I think a solution to last minute region swapping for stickers is to make the change lag one Major cycle behind the move.”
He elaborated that this approach protects legitimate rebuilding efforts while penalizing short-term exploitation. “Then if you legitimately are rebuilding to focus on talent from a different region all good. If you’re hot swapping to snag stickers no chance,” he wrote.
Valve has yet to issue an official response regarding Sashi Esport or the wider trend of European organizations signing Asian cores ahead of the Major cutoff dates.
