Natus Vincere have moved quickly to make changes following a difficult Kickoff campaign. Former
Twisted Minds player Abdullah “
ExiT” Al-Twaijri, who spent the past three years with the organization, is expected to join the Ukrainian team in
VCT EMEA, sources tell
Sheep Esports. He will replace Volkan “
sociablEE” Yönal, who joined the roster this year but ultimately failed to establish himself within the lineup.
This decision follows another recent adjustment within the roster,
with Andrei “Shao” Kiprskii reportedly being replaced by Caide “chloric” Heaton, still according to
Sheep Esports sources. NAVI will therefore enter Stage 1 with two roster changes after a start to the season that fell short of expectations.
At just 19 years old, ExiT is set to make his first appearance in the VCT. The Saudi player had already spent three seasons competing in VCL MENA. He joined Twisted Minds in 2023 and delivered a standout campaign last year, reaching Ascension before being eliminated by Mandatory in the Group Stage. During that period, he was also named MVP of both the VCL MENA Stage 2 and the Saudi eLeague Championship 2025.
Following Twisted Minds’ withdrawal from the
VALORANT scene, ExiT joined
AlQadsiah Esports at the start of the season, with whom he finished third at the
VCL MENA Kickoff. He will now join a NAVI squad whose start to the year has been far from ideal. Despite an initially promising beginning with two victories, the team collapsed during the Kickoff, suffering three consecutive defeats that led to their elimination. They had another opportunity to demonstrate improvement at the
EMEA Clash, but again fell short, losing twice to
ULF Esports and
UCAM Esports Club.
By replacing sociablEE—a flexible player—with ExiT, a Duelist specialist, NAVI appear to be shifting toward a different stylistic profile. Until now, the primary Duelist role had largely been occupied by Dawid “Filu” Czarnecki. This change could therefore prompt a broader reorganization of roles within the lineup, potentially moving NAVI toward a double-Duelist composition, a style that has become increasingly prevalent in the meta since the start of the year.
