According to sources close to
Sheep Esports, Alex
“alexiiik” Hawlasek won’t play for
Natus Vincere in next year’s
VALORANT VCT EMEA. The Ukrainian team has indeed decided to drop its Czech Duelist. This is not the first departure, since the Head Coach
Vincent "Happy" Schopenhauer will be replaced by former player and veteran Kyrylo "
ANGE1" Karasov,
as previously reported by Sheep Esports. alexiiik's
arrival on 26 June 2025 marked NAVI's mid-season pivot after Stage 1, replacing Gianfranco
"koalanoob" Potestio in the VCT EMEA Stage 2 campaign.
This move set expectations that alexiiik would provide fresh entry options alongside ANGE1 calling. With him in the line-up, NAVI reached the lower bracket of the EMEA Stage 2 playoffs and briefly gained momentum. They swept
Team Vitality 2–0 and eliminated
Team Heretics 2–0 before falling 1–2 to
GIANTX in lower bracket Round 3, an exit that ended their path to
Champions Paris via Stage 2
Individually, alexiiik delivered impressive maps that underpinned NAVI’s two series wins. Against Vitality, he achieved a 255 ACS on Neon in the 13–7 Haven opener and a 202 ACS on Raze in the 13–11 Bind close-out. The next day, versus Team Heretics, he recorded a 205 ACS on Jett on Icebox and a 192 ACS on Neon on Haven.
Stage 2 is where NAVI falls
Under Happy coaching, the expectations surrounding Stage 2, and the importance of the lower-bracket surge were clear before the playoffs began. EMEA had two direct slots available for Champions 2025 through Stage 2 after the Team Liquid and Fnatic qualification. To claim one of these slots, NAVI needed to secure multiple elimination wins after starting in the lower bracket. In short, the team ran out of time one series short of the weekend's deciding matches.
The broader picture is of a season of incremental progress that fell short of the organisation's flagship objective. NAVI missed Champions in 2024, and despite their new line-up featuring alexiiik in Stage 2 of the 2025 competition, they once again failed to convert their playoff position into a Champions qualification.
For more roster changes, check out our Transfers Hub.
You can also stay updated with the latest leaks and official roster changes with our Offseason Tracker. Header Photo Credit: Michal Konkol/Riot Games
