NAVI may remain in DPC division one by picking up rising Dota 2 squad

Where does one end and the other one start?
Screengrab via NAVI, Remix by Gökhan Çakır

In a shocking turn of events, several top-tier organizations, including NAVI, were relegated to the second division after the first season of the 2023 Dota Pro Circuit. Amidst the chaos, however, a glimmer of hope may have emerged for NAVI, according to Aleksandr “StrangeR” Solomonov, the head of Dota 2 at Virtus Pro.

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StrangeR thinks NAVI could be in the process of officially acquiring PuckChamp, a division-two team that recently advanced to the first league. Given that NAVI’s existing roster needs to play through a season in division two, a switch like this would allow NAVI to retain its name in the first division.

Though neither NAVI nor PuckChamp released any official statements regarding such a move, the two teams have been linked together since the beginning of the 2023 DPC. In October 2022, NAVI allegedly bought out Maxim “shigetsu” Popadinec from Cybercats and sent the player PuckChamp.

The two teams also bootcamped together during the season, and some rumors even claimed that NAVI was sponsoring PuckChamp behind the scenes. If NAVI was already paying for PuckChamp’s major expenses, the move StrangeR suggests could take place well before the second DPC tour begins.

Considering NAVI is also in a rebuilding stage, the organization can also create an all-star team consisting of PuckChamp and members from their existing team to use the former’s newly acquired slot.

While NAVI might have it figured out to remain in division one, the other relegating EEU team, Nemiga Gaming, will need to grind through division two one more time to return to the spotlight.


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Author
Gökhan Çakır
Gökhan is a Staff Writer and Fortnite Lead at Dot Esports. Gökhan graduated as an industrial engineer in 2020 and has since been with Dot Esports. As a natural-born gamer, he honed his skills to a professional level in Dota 2. Upon giving up on the Aegis of Champions in 2019, Gökhan started his writing career, covering all things gaming, while his heart remains a lifetime defender of the Ancients.