NAVI will be without s1mple for the first time since 2016 at BLAST Premier Fall Final 2023 but they need not worry, youngster w0nderful has been signed to step into his place.
The young Ukrainian joins from Sprout after spending just three months with the German organisation.
He has been in impeccable form since joining from Team Spirit, clocking up an impressive 1.30 HLTV rating in the past three months.
With NAVI recently transitioning away from their Ukrainian roots and to an international roster, the signing of the 18-year-old keeps them tied to their national history.
One of the best young players in Ukraine, he already has a host of top-tier experience including reaching the Champions Stage at the IEM Rio Major and playoffs at ESL Pro League Season 16.
That experience will be nothing like stepping into NAVI, however, with the famous yellow and black jersey sure to weigh a lot heavier on his shoulders than any other jersey he has worn previously.
In his announcement post, w0nderful said he is "excited to join such a legendary organization".
"It was my biggest dream ever since I started playing CS. It's obvious, right? I know that it's hard to fully replace a player of s1mple's caliber and fulfill everyone's expectations, but trust me, I'll do everything in my power!" - w0nderful
NAVI are set to play at both BLAST Premier Fall Final and BLAST Premier World Final, but before that they will embark on a Barcelona bootcamp in order to get their new man up to speed.
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