Mauisnake: “As the season progresses, NAVI should definitely keep an eye on FUT players like Krabeni, dziugss, or xfl0ud.”
Analyst Alex “Mauisnake” Ellenberg, on the Snake & Banter podcast, condemned fraudulent actions by organizations, reflected on the problems with the VRS system, and stated that Natus Vincere needs to make roster changes.
On Fraudulent Practices by Organizations
It’s incredibly frustrating that there are so many organizations in the pro scene like BLEED Esports or Passion UA. They act as if they have tons of money, but in reality, they don’t fulfill their obligations to their players at all. In the case of Passion UA, I’m shocked that the organization used a Premier League player as a front while failing to pay its roster. This is despicable behavior on the part of the club’s management.
On the Problems with the VRS System
K27 spent over $40,000 to ensure its players could participate in European LAN tournaments. That’s simply an investment to earn VRS points, without factoring in salaries. Expenses like that are pure madness. I really liked the previous system because you could qualify for the RMR through online qualifiers. Now, however, organizations have to spend a ton of time and money over several seasons just to make it to a Major. Given Valve’s decision to change the revenue-sharing system for stickers, many clubs will barely break even.
About Natus Vincere
NAVI was supposed to reboot during the summer break and bounce back after their early exit from the IEM Cologne Major. However, they skipped BLAST Bounty and then lost to Legacy in the round of 16 at the Esports World Cup. This team needs changes—it now has problems not only with firepower but also with its system. As the season progresses, NAVI should definitely keep an eye on FUT players like Krabeni, dziugss, or xfl0ud. Yes, these guys are hardly what you’d call reinforcements, but the roster clearly needs a breath of fresh air right now.
Earlier, Jakob “Pimp” Winneke spoke on the Counter-Points podcast about the use of best-of-one (bo1) matches, criticized the seeding system for the 2026 Esports World Cup playoffs in Counter-Strike 2, and assessed FURIA’s recent results.
Photo by Sebastian Pandelache, PGL.
