Russians Will Be Able to Perform At IEM Katowice 202, But There Are Some Terms

On September 26, Poland introduced a ban on entry into the country for most Russian citizens from its external borders due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. However, according to ESL, no law in Poland would prohibit any team or player from entering the country and participating in the championship.

Currently, no law in Poland prohibits any team or player from entering the country and, therefore, not participating in the upcoming tournament in Katowice.

Tournament operator ESL

Russian citizens cannot enter Poland through its external borders of the European Union by land and from outside the Schengen zone by air and sea. Those who have valid visas are still allowed to enter through other countries of the Schengen Agreement. For example, Germany, which borders Poland, is one of the many countries that are part of the bloc and continue to issue visas and allow Russian citizens to enter.

The ban on entering Poland directly from Russia and stricter visa procedures, which were introduced together with Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, added to the many sanctions and laws adopted by the EU and its members after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. However, trips from Russia to the EU remain possible through third countries since the bloc still needs to decide to introduce a full ban.

IEM Katowice 2023 will be held from January 31 to February 12 in Katowice, Poland. The teams will raffle off a prize fund of one million USD and a quota for IEM Cologne 2023. Outsiders, consisting of four Russians, are guaranteed to perform at the competition. It is also assumed that Natus Vincere, Team Spirit, Cloud9, and G2 Esports will be invited to the tournament, whose rosters also include esports athletes from Russia.