TL;DR
- NAVI officially denies paying $1.35M for iM and jL acquisitions
- Organization claims actual costs were approximately half the reported figures
- Team transitioned from Ukrainian-Russian roster to international lineup
- New squad showing mixed results in recent tournaments
- Upcoming events crucial for team chemistry development
Natus Vincere has officially refuted claims that the organization expended $1.35 million to secure the services of Ivan “iM” Mihai and Justinas “jL” Lekavicius from Cybersport, marking a significant dispute in esports journalism accuracy.
As the Counter-Strike competitive season approached, Natus Vincere executed a strategic pivot that stunned the first-person shooter community by transitioning from an exclusively Ukrainian-Russian lineup to a diverse international roster composition. This transformation involved speculated transactions with Apeks and GamerLegion allegedly totaling $1.35 million, assertions that NAVI management has categorically rejected as inflated speculation.
The organization recently parted ways with established players Denis “electroNic” Sharipov and Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy, who subsequently joined Cloud9 following a widely-reported $2 million transfer agreement. NAVI reportedly allocated these resources toward acquiring iM and jL, according to the contested Cybersport analysis that indicated $900,000 for iM and $450,000 for jL. These valuations appeared plausible given iM’s exceptional performance during a previous Major tournament that significantly elevated his market value.
However, NAVI’s management recently challenged the credibility of these reports, alleging they contained substantially falsified financial information. jL additionally utilized social media platform X to publicly express his perspective regarding the circulating acquisition rumors.
Natus Vincere reacts to Cybersport trade report
Following publication of the Cybersport analysis, NAVI representatives informed Dust2.us that the disclosed monetary amounts significantly misrepresented reality. The reported valuation for iM specifically exceeded NAVI’s actual expenditure by a substantial margin. According to Dust2.us sources, the cumulative transfer fees were “approximately double” what Natus Vincere genuinely compensated for both professional players.
The ultimate return on this strategic investment remains uncertain pending further competitive evaluation. Natus Vincere continues adapting to their recently implemented English-speaking team dynamic. The restructured squad achieved 4-6th placement at the BLAST Premier Fall Groups and secured 7-8th position at IEM Cologne 2023, indicating ongoing integration challenges.
The forthcoming significant tournament is Gamers8, followed by ESL Pro League Season 18. Optimistically, the team will demonstrate enhanced communication coordination and improved tactical synchronization by those competitive events.
Action Checklist
- Verify transfer reports through multiple independent sources before publication
- Analyze team performance metrics across 3-5 tournaments post-roster changes
- Evaluate communication integration progress in international team environments
No reproduction without permission：Game Guides Online » NAVI refutes claim that the org paid $1.35 million for iM and JL NAVI denies $1.35M player acquisition costs and reveals roster strategy insights