Natus Vincere’s coach Andrii B1ad3 Gorodenskyi gave a major interview in which he, for the first time, explained in detail the reasons behind Oleksandr s1mple Kostyliev’s absence from the renewed roster. He also recalled the toughest periods for NAVI, responded to criticism directed at Aleksib and w0nderful, and outlined the main weaknesses of the current lineup.
“With s1mple, there was too much pressure on the team”
According to B1ad3, the key reason the club decided to move forward without s1mple was the psychological pressure that emerged inside the team.
We came to the conclusion that it was hard for our players to play with s1mple. There was too much pressure on them. In 2021, when the roster was made up of CIS players, we won many tournaments because they were ready for that kind of atmosphere. But after moving to an international roster, it became clear that the new players couldn’t show their best qualities under such conditions, the coach explained.
B1ad3 emphasized that s1mple always demanded maximum effort from his teammates. While this drove the squad to great victories, not everyone was able to withstand that level of expectations.
On Aleksib and w0nderful
The coach also addressed fan criticism aimed at Aleksi Aleksib Sirkkunen and Ihor w0nderful Zhdanov. In B1ad3’s view, these players are not the reason behind NAVI’s struggles.
I don’t think Aleksib and w0nderful are the cause of our losses. An IGL always has the most responsibilities and makes more mistakes than others. Usually, he doesn’t have the best K/D in the team, and that’s normal. If he doesn’t get a frag or dies as an entry, the team has to compensate for it. The same goes for w0nderful: he has some issues with accuracy, but that’s not critical. Every player, even tier-1, misses shots sometimes, the coach explained.
Thus, B1ad3 urged fans not to expect these two players to be “kicked,” stressing that the real issues lie elsewhere.
NAVI’s toughest year
B1ad3 also recalled 2020, which he described as the most difficult year of his career with NAVI.
We won IEM Katowice 2020 and right after that the pandemic started. The whole year was very problematic: we were constantly thinking about roster changes, player departures. There was a lot of stress in the team, and tension inside our bubble. We were one step away from losing the star roster that eventually created a new era in 2021, the coach admitted.
It was at that moment that NAVI managed to preserve their core, which later delivered a historic year with victories at a Major and the Intel Grand Slam.
Issues with the current roster
As of today, B1ad3 believes NAVI’s main weakness is a lack of synergy and experience.
To win at tier-1 level, you need confidence. When a new player comes in—especially if he is young and inexperienced, like ropz at the start of his career—building synergy becomes much harder. It’s a process that requires time and stability, he stressed.
The coach underlined that the team must go through this development phase in order to have a real chance of fighting for big titles in the future.
Conclusion
B1ad3’s interview offered an important explanation of NAVI’s current situation. The organization consciously decided not to bring back s1mple, instead betting on long-term roster development. At the same time, the coach dismissed criticism toward Aleksib and w0nderful, highlighting that the problems run deeper—in psychology and lack of stability.
There is still much work ahead for NAVI, but B1ad3 remains confident: with time and the right atmosphere, this roster can once again become a championship contender.
