NAVI acquired the PuckChamp roster after the latter’s impressive run through the Eastern European regional qualifier for ESL One Bangkok 2024.
After a month of inactivity, Natus Vincere (NAVI) are making a serious return to competition in Dota 2 by signing the roster of PuckChamp and earning the team’s spot in ESL One Bangkok 2024.
In October, NAVI rendered its entire main roster inactive and only retained its academy team Natus Vincere Junior within the organisation’s Dota 2 division. With their last The International (TI) appearance dating all the way back to TI 2019, NAVI have been scrambling to assemble a roster that might bring the organisation back to its glory days – when it won the first-ever TI and made the grand finals of TI 2012 and 2013.
The PuckChamp roster’s run through the ESL One Bangkok Eastern European qualifier seems to have impressed NAVI enough for them to sign the team. PuckChamp was reformed just earlier this month in the hopes of qualifying for ESL One Bangkok, first cruising through the Open Qualifiers before beating out more established teams like 1win and Virtus.pro to win the tournament’s Eastern European regional qualifier.
With a mix of veterans like Indji “Shad” Lub, Miroslav “BOOM” Bičan, and Oleh “Kaori” Medvedok, as well as promising talents in Sukhbat “Sanctity-” Otgondavaa and Vitaliy “QBFY” Ivanov, the PuckChamp roster that will now be playing under the NAVI banner are among the five teams fans should look out for in ESL One Bangkok. Vitaliy “Sword_Art” Petkin will also retain his position as coach with the team’s move to NAVI.
It is worth noting that Sanctity, BOOM, and Sword_Art have already played under the NAVI banner this season prior to their move to PuckChamp and acquisition by NAVI.
There will be plenty of formidable competition in Thailand for the new NAVI squad to test themselves against, such as fellow Eastern European teams Team Spirit, BetBoom Team, and PARIVISION. There are also TI 2024 champions Team Liquid and juggernauts Team Falcons.
NAVI’s new roster will soon be making its LAN tournament debut in ESL One Bangkok, which will feature 12 teams fighting for their cut of a $1 million prize pool from December 9 to 15.
NAVI Dota 2 roster:
Indji “Shad” Lub
Sukhbat “Sanctity-” Otgondavaa
Miroslav “BOOM” Bičan
Vitaliy “QBFY” Ivanov
Oleh “Kaori” Medvedok
