Dota 2: Team Liquid's Boxi exits Lima Major due to medical emergency
Liquid's analyst, Jabbz, will be standing-in for Boxi for the remainder of the Major.
Team Liquid's position 4 support player Samuel "Boxi" Svahn will be unable to join his team for the rest of the ongoing Dota 2 Lima Major due to a medical emergency.
Liquid coach William "Blitz" Lee announced Boxi's departure from the Major on Saturday (4 March), saying that Boxi "will be flying home immediately due to a medical emergency".
Blitz did not reveal further details on Boxi's situation.
"I hope that the community understands that Boxi's health is most important to us, and to not speculate and simply send him love and support," added Blitz.
Liquid analyst Mathis "Jabbz" Friesel will be standing-in for Boxi for the remainder of the Lima Major. Prior to becoming Liquid's analyst in 2020, Jabbz played as a midlaner and support in various tier two Western European teams like Penta Esports and Kingdra.
"We thank Valve for the understanding and Jabbz for stepping in. It isn’t an easy situation for him to stand-in last minute so I hope people send him positivity as well," said Blitz.
Boxi a key part of Liquid's recent dominance
Boxi has been a key part in Liquid's dominance in the Lima Major. The Western European juggernauts entered the tournament as the biggest favourites, living up to their promise by finishing the Group Stage with the best record at 14-2 and not yet losing a game during the Playoffs.
Liquid cruised through Southeast Asia's Talon Esports and North America's Shopify Rebellion to reach the upper bracket finals, where they are set to face fellow Western European squad Gaimin Gladiators on the fifth day of the Playoffs.
Blitz assured Liquid's fans that the team will continue to perform to the best of their ability for the rest of the Major despite the loss of Boxi.
"We will still try our absolute best to win this tournament for Boxi," said Blitz.
The Lima Major Playoffs will take place from 28 February to 5 March and will be a double-elimination bracket. All Playoff matches will be a best-of-three except for the Grand Finals, which will be a full best-of-five series.
Teams will have to make the Top 8 in order to earn a cut of the Lima Major's US$500,000 prize pool and 1,900 Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) point pool. Those precious DPC points will go towards earning an all-important direct invite to this year's iteration of The International (TI), Dota 2's annual world championship tournament.
The Lima Major is the first Major of the 2023 DPC season and will feature 18 of the best teams in the circuit battling for their share of the US$500,000 prize pool and 1,900 DPC point pool. For everything you need to know about the Lima Major, check here.
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