GG Esports Academy has been removed from North American qualifying for Overwatch Contenders following reports indicating their failure to submit a roster.
According to the Bench Mob, GGEA filed for an extension to submit their final roster but it was not granted by Blizzard, causing them to miss the roster deadline.
Thomas Mok, coach of N.A. team Second Wind that is also competing for a spot in Contenders, tweeted that the qualifying teams will all receive a free win instead of playing GGEA.
Overwatch Contenders serves as a developmental companion to the Overwatch League, with many OWL teams owning a Contenders place as well.
GGEA, formerly known as OpTic Academy, operates under parent organization Infinite Esports & Entertainment, which also owns the Houston Outlaws and OpTic Gaming.
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Infinite lost some investment power in August, parting ways with Deep Space Ventures after their co-founder was arrested for allegedly attacking his wife with a hammer.
GGEA was a revolving door of players and managers while attempting to find the right roster for the next season of Overwatch Contenders, but it appears they did not have the funds – or time – necessary to finalize the roster moves.
The same problems did not have an effect on OpTic Gaming’s Call of Duty roster, which made two new signings and brought back a fan-favorite for Black Ops 4.