Sources: Parus set to join Natus Vincere

Polat "Parus" Çiçek is set to become Natus Vincere’s new support ahead of the 2026 LEC season, according to sources close to Sheep Esports. He will sign a two-year contract with the organization. The Turkish support received an offer from NAVI at the start of the offseason but chose to wait and see if other teams would reach out. While Fnatic and GIANTX were focused on securing Yoon "Jun" Se-jun, Parus held talks with both teams, though no concrete offer ever materialized. He ultimately decided to join NAVI.

After an impressive 2024 season in the LFL and EMEA Masters with BDS Academy, he joined the LEC as a rookie and was regarded as one of the most promising prospects on the market. A year later, however, he’s coming off a turbulent 2025 season, struggling to recapture the flashy playstyle that once defined him and to find stability within a roster described as dysfunctional after a major overhaul last summer.

During the offseason, NAVI also considered supports Jun, Adrian "Trymbi" Trybus, and Oh "Career" Hyeong-seok.

Natus Vincere is on the verge of becoming the first LEC team to fully finalize its 2026 roster. With the arrival of Parus, only the midlane position remains to be secured. The organization is prioritizing Vladimiros "Vladi" Kourtidis, but he has not yet made his decision. As reported by Sheep Esports, the midlaner has been allowed by Karmine Corp to explore his options and is still currently in discussions with Team Vitality, Fnatic, and NAVI.

Thus, the first real NAVI roster is taking shape around several highly regarded talents from this year’s competitive scene, all coming from the LFL: Volodymyr "Maynter" Sorokin from Karmine Corp Blue, Enes "Rhilech" Uçan—secured back in Summer with a view to 2026—from BK ROG Esports, Lee "Hans SamD" Jae-hoon from Ici Japon Corp, whom they recruited this Summer, and now Parus, who played in the LFL in 2024 with BDS Academy.

While this clearly highlights the LFL’s continued role as the main source of promising regional prospects, it also shows NAVI’s determination to build a project on its own foundations. Despite inheriting Rogue’s LEC slot, not a single player from Rogue’s former roster remains with the organization, including in the coaching staff—now overseen by Vasilis "TheRock" Voltis.*