FUT Esports have officially confirmed that head coach András “coolio” Fercsák will replace in-game leader Aulon “Krabeni” Fazlija at BLAST Rivals 2026 Season 2 due to visa issues. The organization announced the change on November 10, confirming that the Hungarian coach will compete throughout the tournament in Hong Kong.
The substitution comes shortly before the opening match against Spirit on November 11. FUT will have to compete without their regular captain in their final scheduled tournament before PGL Major Singapore 2026.
Krabeni to miss BLAST Rivals due to visa issues
Krabeni had previously revealed that he was experiencing difficulties obtaining a visa for Hong Kong. During a personal stream, the 21-year-old explained that he had not received the necessary documents despite the team preparing to travel to the tournament.
On November 10, FUT officially confirmed that the player would be unable to attend BLAST Rivals Season 2. The organization announced that coolio would take his place for the entire competition.
Roster update for BLAST Rivals 2026 Season 2:
Due to visa issues, Krabeni will be unable to join us for the tournament. Our coach, Coolio, will be playing as a stand-in throughout the tournament. https://t.co/647W2B9xTf
— FUT Esports (@FUTesportsgg) November 10, 2026
The absence means FUT will compete without their regular in-game leader, who has been responsible for calling strategies and directing the team during matches. The organization has not announced how those responsibilities will be distributed during the tournament.
coolio returns as stand-in for the second time in 2026
This will not be the first time coolio has temporarily joined the FUT starting lineup. In April, the Hungarian coach replaced Laurențiu “lauNX” Țârlea at BLAST Rivals 2026 Season 1 after the Romanian rifler was ruled out due to health issues.
FUT were eliminated from that event after consecutive defeats against Vitality and Astralis. The team lost 1:2 to Vitality in their opening match before falling 0:2 to Astralis.
The situation is different this time, as coolio will replace the team’s in-game leader rather than a rifler. The coach has worked with the roster throughout its development and previously gained experience competing alongside several members of the lineup.
FUT will compete with the following players:
- Yasin “xfl0ud” Koç
- Álvaro “SunPayus” García
- Dmytro “dem0n” Myroshnychenko
- Džiugas “dziugss” Steponavičius
- András “coolio” Fercsák — stand-in
- Aulon “Krabeni” Fazlija — absent
FUT face Spirit before Singapore Major
FUT will open their BLAST Rivals 2026 Season 2 campaign against Spirit on November 11 at 08:00 CET. The tournament takes place in Hong Kong from November 11 to 15, featuring eight teams competing for $1,000,000 in total winnings.
The substitution also limits the team’s opportunities to compete with its regular lineup before PGL Major Singapore 2026. Since the arrival of SunPayus in October, FUT have played only four official series with their current starting five, all at PGL Masters Bucharest 2026.
At that tournament, FUT defeated TYLOO, Liquid and Vitality before losing to Nemiga in the quarterfinals.
With Krabeni unavailable for BLAST Rivals, FUT will enter the Singapore Major having played just four series with their complete lineup. The organization has not announced any further roster changes beyond the temporary substitution in Hong Kong.
