NAVI’s in-game leader Kirill “Boombl4” Mikhailov reported that he tested positive for COVID shortly after landing in Katowice, Poland, indicating that he will be unable to play in the IEM Katowice 2022 from the official tournament area. The Natus Vincere captain, on the other hand, stated that he is in good health and would be able to compete in the group stage matches from a hotel room.
Boombl4 should be allowed to play in the arena games if Natus Vincere makes the playoffs. According to Poland’s existing regulations, positive COVID patients must be isolated for seven days, which might be enough time for Boombl4 to recover. If necessary, the CIS team will be able to field a substitute in the playoffs. The team’s substitute is presently listed as NAVI Junior’s Daniil “headtr1ck” Valitov, although another player might be recruited and utilized as an “emergency transfer.”
This is the latest COVID-related setback for the competition, which has already seen TYLOO withdraw owing to Chinese restrictions, Complexity unable to fly to Poland due to positive tests, and Robin “ropz” Kool and Aurimas “Bymas” Pipiras lose out due to the same reason. FaZe and MOUZ players were unable to compete in the competition with their teams, unlike Boombl4 and exit, due to positive tests received at the bootcamp before going to Katowice and settling into the official tournament hotel.
Also read: Complexity withdrawn from IEM Katowice 2022 due to multiple positive COVID test
