eSports Insider · Jan 13
Alkaren misses BLAST Bounty due to visa issues
Image credit: Esports World CupNorwegian esports organisation HEROIC has announced Äl\u0131mjan “Alkaren” B\u0131t\u0131mbai will miss the start of the 2026 Counter-Strike 2 season due to ‘unforeseen visa issues’.
As a result, the Kazakhstani player won’t compete in the BLAST Bounty Season 1 closed qualifiers.
Announced on January 13th, 2026, the organisation revealed it is looking to find a solution and hopes Alkaran can return to the starting line-up soon. Taking his place is Simon ‘yxngstxr‘ Boije, who returns to the roster after being moved to the bench on January 6th.