ohnepixel's DRILLAS replaces AMSALEM with SENER1

DRILLAS have announced that Sener "SENER1" Mahmuti will replace Meytar "AMSALEM" Amsalem ahead of the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 Asia RMR, starting the 11th of November.

SENER1 was a key figure in the Kosovar lineup of Bad News Eagles who soared the heights of Counter-Strike esports by reaching three consecutive Majors in the Legends Stage. However, he remained inactive during the last four months following the organization disbanding due to loss of organizational support.

“I'm not going to play the RMR tournament with Drillas. I want to thank everyone for our shared time. We are all friends outside the game, however on the server the atmosphere was not the best as we had different ideas of how to approach the game, and I didn't feel comfortable.” – AMSALEM on X

Volodymyr "woro2k" Veletniuk, DRILLAS' sniper, revealed in a Telegram message that the team contacted tournament organizer PGL several times for clarification regarding the changes. After multiple inquiries, PGL confirmed that the roster adjustments were valid, ensuring the team’s compliance with the rulebook.

Majority European roster competing in Asia, substitute loophole

With this roster change, DRILLAS now has a European-majority lineup, retaining only Ali "hAdji" Haïnouss and Tal "meztal" Hahiashvili from the original region. Interestingly, this adjustment still technically meets the requirements of the Major Rulebook, even though it feels like a loophole. Since the team originally registered with an Asian-majority roster, the substitutions are permitted, even though they seem to bypass the regional restrictions that should be in place.

DRILLAS has become one of the most intriguing teams to watch in the Asian RMR, largely due to the backing of popular streamer, ohnepixel, who will serve as the team’s coach during the Shanghai Major. This project, launched in August, quickly gained momentum after the team’s success in the open qualifier. DRILLAS went on to secure their spot in the Asian RMR by triumphing in the Middle East RMR Closed Qualifier, where they defeated Onyx Ravens to solidify their place in the tournament.

The Asia RMR will run from November 11-13 with the DRILLAS taking on Lynn Vision in their opening series at 11:00 AM CET, so be sure to tune in and follow their journey through the RMR.

Featured Image source: PGL

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