MIBR, one of Brazil’s most famous CS:GO teams, declined the invitation to participate in the upcoming ESL Challenger Melbourne tournament. Marcos “tacitus” Castillo, the team’s assistant, took to Twitter to explain the reasons for this decision.

When asked by a fan why MIBR and 00Nation were not invited to the tournament, tacitus explained that the team carefully considered the invitation but ultimately declined due to logistical difficulties. He cited the long flight and the significant time zone difference between Brazil and Melbourne as factors that made participation in the tournament impractical.

This decision was a blow to MIBR fans who had hoped to see the team in the tournament. As of now, only four teams have been confirmed to compete: Complexity, Bad News Eagles, IHC and Grayhound.

Unlike in 2022, there will be no South American qualifier at this year’s ESL Challenger Melbourne, which means that MIBR will forfeit the tournament altogether. Instead, four teams will enter the event through qualifying tournaments held in North America, Asia, Europe and Oceania.

ESL Challenger Melbourne will take place April 28-30 with a total prize pool of $100,000. The winning team will also be eligible to compete directly in ESL Pro League S18.