NAVI evades DPC relegation by signing Dota 2 upcomers

NAVI has undergone a significant shake-up after being relegated from the first division of the Eastern European Dota Pro Circuit.

Ever since this demotion, NAVI had been linked to PuckChamp, a team it had close ties with throughout 2022. Today, however, the rumors were confirmed when NAVI announced that it has officially signed PuckChamp as its official Dota 2 roster.

This decision comes after a disappointing season for NAVI that left the organization puzzled about how to proceed. Even “leaving the discipline” was considered, but NAVI eventually decided to stay in the competition and the first division.

The signing of PuckChamp also means that NAVI will have an additional spot in division two, which NAVI Junior will use. As the final piece of the move, former NAVI’s last remaining member Georgii “swedenstrong” Zainalabidov was “made available” for any future transfers.

Given NAVI and PuckChamp’s close ties, especially in the last year, the move didn’t come as a surprise to most fans. Through climbing the ranks, PuckChamp members drew the attention of a major organization, and they will be returning to the first division as the latest iteration of NAVI.

NAVI’s Dota 2 squad for the first division consists of Maksym “shigetsu” Popadynets, Maksym “mellojul” Pnov, Abdimalik “Malik” Sailau, Danial Alibaev, and Arman “Malady” Orazbayev.

NAVI Junior, which will compete in the second division, features Taras “gotthejuice” Linnikov, Ričards “Ri4man” Kalniņš, Yurii “pma” Prots, Tamir “daze” Tokpanov, and Stanislav “Riddys” Mitroshkyn.

The two teams are likely to boot camp together for the upcoming season and prepare for the second tour of the 2023 DPC to ensure NAVI doesn’t miss another major tournament.