Aleksib Says All the NAVI Change Rumors Were False (Expanded, Verified)
Aleksib Says All the NAVI Change Rumors Were False (Expanded, Verified)
On January 14, 2026, Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen — in-game leader (IGL) of Natus Vincere’s Counter-Strike 2 roster — publicly addressed a wave of offseason roster speculation by stating that “all the rumors we heard were false.” According to the captain, reports circulating about potential changes inside NAVI were inaccurate, and no official offers, negotiations, or plans to alter the current lineup occurred during the winter break.
Aleksib explained that there had been “a lot of false rumors,” some involving NAVI and other teams, but clarified that none of these were grounded in truth. The team entered the new 2026 CS2 season with the same roster they finished 2025 with, and he expressed confidence that the squad could improve and perform better than it did at various points last year.
This statement was part of a broader response from NAVI leadership to quell the persistent offseason chatter among fans, content creators, and regional esports insiders.
Where the Rumors Came From — and What Was Actually Reported
In the weeks leading up to Aleksib’s comments, several rumors circulated online, primarily on social media and community message boards:
🔹 Aleksib to Team Falcons:
Some reports suggested that Aleksib might leave NAVI to join Team Falcons. However, by the start of the 2026 season, neither organization confirmed any such transfer, and no changes were made.
🔹 Senzu Replacing Aleksib:
Another claim — that Mongolian player Senzu would replace Aleksib on NAVI — was debunked by multiple outlets, and screenshots supporting this rumor were classified as fabricated.
🔹 NAVI Targeting Alex666:
Some reports cited that NAVI had explored acquiring Oleksii “Alex666” Yarmoshchuk from B8 as a possible replacement for Aleksib. This was framed as exploratory market activity, not a signed deal or confirmed plan.
Although such rumors were widely circulated, Aleksib’s statement effectively rejected these narratives as not reflective of the organisation’s actual intentions, making it clear that insiders’ claims were either unverified or incorrect.
The Larger Context: NAVI’s 2025 Season and Internal Pressure
To understand why these rumors spread so widely, it helps to look at the team’s performance and dynamics in late 2025:
🔸 Performance Expectations and Pressure:
Earlier in the 2025 season, Aleksib himself signaled that NAVI’s results needed to improve, warning that “either we deliver results or there will be changes.” While this was a strategic remark about performance expectations, it was never a binding declaration that changes were imminent. It merely reflected the competitive pressure on an elite team operating without a championship trophy for some time.
🔸 HLTV Editor’s Speculation:
In December 2025, HLTV editor Milan “Striker” Svejda publicly speculated that Aleksib might not remain at NAVI for much longer based on his impressions of the team’s morale after the StarLadder Budapest Major. This commentary stirred discussion but was explicitly identified as editorial speculation, not confirmation from the club.
Together, these comments and the lack of consistent top-tier results fuled the offseason chatter, even when the organisation itself had no official plans to shuffle the roster.
Why NAVI Didn’t Make Any Changes
There are several documented reasons why NAVI entered 2026 with an unchanged lineup:
🔹 Transfer Market Challenges:
According to industry insiders and other professional CS2 figures, the transfer market has been considered unusually inflated — making major roster adjustments difficult for many organizations, including NAVI. Danish IGL apEX mentioned this in relation to why several teams did not make changes, including NAVI and MOUZ. However, this doesn’t mean that NAVI had announced or planned changes — rather, it contextualizes why changes didn’t happen at all.
🔹 Club Statements:
NAVI’s public position — reinforced by Aleksib’s comments — has been that the current lineup is expected to stay together and improve collaboratively. No official communication has suggested a departing captain or roster overhaul for 2026.
What This Means for NAVI and Aleksib
As it stands:
✔️ Aleksib remains the IGL and captain of NAVI’s competitive CS2 team for the 2026 season.
✔️ No roster changes were made or announced during the winter break of 2025–2026.
✔️ All major offseason rumors about player movement have been denied or debunked.
✔️ The team starts the new season intact and focused on international competition.
Aleksib’s insistence that “all the rumors we heard were false” should be understood as an effort to set the record straight after a period of rampant speculation within the CS2 community.
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