Moist Esports faced challenges last week, from tournament victories to visa denials. Despite success, the team encounters obstacles entering the United States. Moist Cr1TiKaL, the owner, expressed frustration and may consider legal action against the US immigration department. Let’s delve into the timeline and reasons behind this potential lawsuit.
Moist Esports denied visas despite success.
The Apex squad comprises mainly three players: two Australians and an American. They placed 2nd in the Canadian Apex LAN and qualified for the biggest tournament in the US. Visa issues for players are always complicated. Even in Valorant, many Asian and European players struggle to get visas on time, missing out on tournaments. Even champions Sentinels faced visa issues with their IGL, JohnQT, having to wait too long. The team did have their IGL land just in time for the match. However, the same was not the case with Moist Esports.
Moist had to try other methods, including removing the two Australians from the roster, to allow them to enter the country and play the tournament unsigned to an org. Moist Esports tried this to ensure the org wasn’t hindering the athletes’ visa process. Sadly, this was the only plan that worked, making the situation even more complicated. The trio has been playing under the name “Not Moist,” and Cr1TiKaL was certainly not happy about it.
Cr1TiKaL Plans to Sue US Immigration
For now, the team is performing well, placing 1st and entering the winner bracket. The two Australians were denied ESTA visas, leading them to reapply for B1 visas without an org contract. Cr1TiKaL claims someone from the US immigration was denying visas due to personal grudges. He says his lawyers can’t determine the reasons for the denials, so they’ve decided to sue. While they expect no monetary gain from the lawsuit, Cr1TiKaL wants answers. According to the US immigration team, the two Australian players lacked the reputation for esports athlete visas. The Moist team sought help from EA, but the immigration team still cited the players’ lack of “high profile” status.
Cr1TiKaL then states that running an esports org isn’t cheap. Players receive salaries, bootcamp and travel expenses are covered, but not getting visas for international players hinders their ability to compete and win tournaments, which is fundamental to the org’s business. Tournament prize winnings significantly benefit both players and the org, which is why orgs exist. Cr1TiKaL, being a celebrity streamer, hosts watch parties with tens of thousands of viewers, generating revenue to fund the esports org. As stated previously, the chances of getting any settlement money from the lawsuit seems unlikely. The goal is to inform the government about the esports business and the corrupt immigration team.
Cr1TiKaL’s rant about US immigration has already garnered 4.5 million views in just 4 days. The topic is gaining significant traction. Other esports franchises remain tight-lipped about their visa situations, fearing the US immigration. Cr1TiKaL has decided to seek legal representation to uncover the truth. Soon, other esports orgs may come forward to share their struggles with the immigration team.
