After two wins in the
VALORANT VCT EMEA Kickoff,
Natus Vincere's journey came to a halt with a 0-2 defeat to Gentle Mates on Thursday, January 29, a series that highlighted the concerns and work that remains to be done on their map pool. Right after that loss,
Sheep Esports spoke with new Head Coach Kyrylo
"ANGE1" Karasov, who reflected on what the team missed on the server, his assessment of NAVI's start to the 2026 season, and more topics.
What was missing on NAVI’s side to win the game?
Kyrylo "ANGE1" Karasov: "It’s very hard. I will take some responsibility regarding preparation. We could have prepared better for this map. But to be honest, we lost so many duels. Even when the game was even and everything was fine in a 4v4, someone would get a triple kill on their side. There were too many moments like that. We lost too many 50-50 duels, crucial duels.
Looking at NAVI’s start to the VCT season, how would you rate it so far? What do you already like, and what shows there’s still work to do?
ANGE1: We definitely have a lot of work to do. We need to work on our map pool, one hundred percent. How would I rate it? Seven and a half out of ten. If we won today, I’d rate it nine out of ten, depending on how it went. But considering we lost 0-2, I have to take some points off. The start is good, especially with a new roster, a new IGL, and it’s my first time as a coach. But I’m sure we can do better.
You picked Skye on Abyss, which isn’t very common. What was the plan behind this pick?
ANGE1: We try to standardize picks on the maps we play, so players can play similar roles and similar areas. It looked pretty good in some moments, and pretty bad in other moments. It’s Kickoff in the end. We need to figure out how we have to play and see how it looks in officials.
If you had to sum up your first matches, what are NAVI's biggest strengths in your eyes, and what costs you the most today?
ANGE1: I don’t think we have a recurring issue. We’ve lost only one game, so it’s still too early to say. Our strength is our preparation. I was pretty confident in the rounds we have and the setups we have. And obviously, we have a lot of firepower.
Let’s talk about your transition from player to coach. How did it happen, when did you realize you were going to switch, and what was the hardest part?
ANGE1: I planned to switch to coaching for a while. I wanted to try being a coach as the next step after being an IGL. The last two seasons, I was considering it heavily. The transition went pretty well. The hardest thing is that I didn’t expect coaching to have so much work. I’m trying to do a lot, and your regular day is: you wake up, make sure your strats are prepared, and what you have to say to your team is ready. Then you have tactics and practice, and after practice, you watch VODs and prepare for the next day. So for me, it’s VALORANT and sleep, that’s it.
What part of the job is similar to being an IGL, and what part is completely different?
ANGE1: It’s very close in a lot of scenarios. It depends on what kind of IGL you are. When I was IGLing, I was bringing a lot of rounds and explaining how I wanted the game to be played, so I bring that into the coaching role. And you usually have two to four timeouts per game, so you can also call for the team there. So I think it’s pretty similar and very natural to go from IGL to coach.
ANGE1 during the game against Gentle mates. Credit: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games
How do you personally define your role as a coach, and what do you mainly bring to the team?
ANGE1: I’m responsible for how we play. I bring strategies, philosophy, and how we approach the map, because approaches to different maps should be different. I decide game plans, adapt to enemy picks, and a lot of other stuff. Everything I can help players with, I help: VOD reviews, individual things, making sure they feel comfortable in their roles. There’s a lot.
This offseason was your first as a coach. How did you experience it with recruitment decisions, roles, and structure? What was the hardest choice to make?
ANGE1: There were not a lot of hard choices. I joined a bit late, and we finalized terms with NAVI late, so we only had three weeks of tryouts. I saw a lot of players and had a lot of talks with agents. So there were no hard choices in that sense. The hardest work was figuring out how this team should work, which roles players should play, and what approach we should take on the map.
Do you feel you have a different relationship with your players now as a coach, and does your past as a player affect how they see you?
ANGE1: I think they trust me more. That’s for sure, because I have experience playing on stage and at big tournaments, and I went through all of this. So I’m pretty sure I have more trust than an average coach would have, and I’m very happy about it.
What are NAVI's goals this year, for you individually and as a team?
ANGE1: My only objective in this team is to win the next match. I want us to focus on the next match, on winning the next match. Everything else will come along the way.
If you had to give one key quality for your roster, what would you say? And how do you see your future with NAVI if everything goes as planned this season?
ANGE1: About the future, I didn’t think much. I have a one-year contract, so I have to deliver this year to keep the job. I don’t look too far ahead. My goal is to perform the best here and now. The key quality I would give is mental patience: being calm. It’s very important in big games and important matches. Being calm, not letting emotions take over, and not taking things too close to the heart."
