Natus Vincere, the powerhouse in the world of Counter-Strike, is on the brink of a monumental change as they prepare to part ways with their legendary player, s1mple. The transition marks the dawn of a new era for the team, as they bring in the young and dynamic AWPer, Ihor “⁠w0nderful⁠” Zhdano, sourced from Sprout.

The news of this impending roster shift was revealed by HLTV on October 26, 2023. This surprising change comes in the wake of s1mple's absence from IEM Sydney, a significant CS2 tournament, where he failed to join his NAVI teammates. As a result, NAVI had to call upon their head coach, Andrij “B1ad3” Ghorodensjkyj, to step in as a last-minute substitute.

S1mple's nonattendance at IEM Sydney was attributed to unprepared EU residency paperwork, which posed potential travel complications. However, what further fueled speculation of his departure from NAVI was his ambiguity regarding participation in the upcoming BLAST Premier Fall Final, their next major tournament.

Notably, s1mple remains under contract with NAVI until October 2025, following a three-year extension inked in 2022. Although rumors may swirl, he has not shown signs of imminent transfer to another team. Instead, it has been suggested that he's taking a break from competitive play, perhaps due to his candid criticisms of the current state of CS2. In fact, he advised aspiring professionals to hold off for three months before diving into the competitive grind.

S1mple's tenure with NAVI has been nothing short of legendary since he joined the organization in 2016. His exceptional contributions have propelled NAVI to numerous titles, including the PGL Major Stockholm in November 2021, IEM Cologne in July 2021, and ESL Pro League season 14 in September 2021, which was instrumental in NAVI's Intel Grand Slam season three victory.

In contrast, w0nderful has rapidly risen as a promising talent in the CS scene. His notable performances while playing for Team Spirit from June 2022 to June 2023 and his subsequent inclusion in Sprout's roster have turned heads. With an impressive 1.23 rating across 155 maps played this year, w0nderful has demonstrated the potential to be a game-changer.

With the BLAST Premier Fall Final just around the corner, scheduled to run from November 22 to 26 in Copenhagen, Denmark, NAVI has a pressing timeline to finalize their revamped roster.

S1mple himself confirmed his break from competition via Twitter and expressed an openness to explore new opportunities, possibly transitioning into a primary rifler role. This pivotal moment in CS2's history promises exciting changes for NAVI and w0nderful, as they embark on this transformational journey into the future.