Thorin Says NAVI Could Regret Missing Out on dem0n and dziugss After FUT Rise

Counter-Strike analyst Duncan Shields has questioned whether NAVI will eventually regret not landing former academy talents Dmytro “dem0n” Myroshnychenko and Džiugas “dziugss” Steponavičius for its main CS2 lineup.

The discussion follows a report from tournament host James “BanKs” Banks that both FUT Esports players received approaches from NAVI and declined them. Thorin argued that the significance of dziugss in particular may be underestimated and suggested the real verdict will become clearer by the end of the season.

The situation is especially notable because dem0n and dziugss developed inside NAVI's academy system before their former NAVI Junior core moved to FUT Esports in 2025. Since then, FUT have emerged as a genuine international contender, culminating in a runner-up finish at the Esports World Cup 2026.

 

Quick Summary

 

What Happened With Thorin, NAVI, dem0n and dziugss?

Counter-Strike analyst Duncan “Thorin” Shields has questioned NAVI’s decision-making after reported approaches for dem0n and dziugss failed to result in transfers.

 

Thorin reacted on X to reports surrounding NAVI's interest in dem0n and dziugss.

According to Cybersport.ru, the British analyst suggested that the ultimate winner of the situation will become apparent at the end of the season. More importantly, he argued that observers may be overlooking how much stronger dziugss could potentially have made NAVI.

The underlying transfer information did not originate with Thorin.

BanKs previously said on the All About Counter-Strike podcast that NAVI had approached dziugss about joining its main roster. He also claimed that dem0n received an offer. According to that account, both players declined. The exact contractual and financial terms have not been publicly verified.

That distinction matters: NAVI's approaches should currently be treated as reported information rather than officially announced transfer negotiations.

Thorin's argument about NAVI

Thorin's position can essentially be viewed as a long-term comparison.

NAVI have chosen one competitive direction, while two players developed within their own academy system are now succeeding elsewhere. If FUT continue challenging elite teams and dem0n and dziugss keep developing, NAVI's inability to bring them back could look increasingly significant.

But that conclusion cannot yet be made definitively.

There is no guarantee that either player would have produced the same results inside NAVI's system, and roster construction involves considerably more than individual talent.

 

How dem0n and dziugss Went From NAVI Junior to FUT

dem0n and dziugss developed through NAVI’s academy structure before continuing their careers with FUT Esports.

 

The story stretches back much further than the reported 2026 approaches.

NAVI reorganized its CS2 academy structure in May 2024. The resulting NAVI Junior lineup included dem0n, dziugss, Nikita “cmtry” Samolotov, Aulon “Krabeni” Fazlija and other academy prospects, with András “coolio” Fercsák taking over as head coach.

By June 2025, the project had become exceptionally successful by academy standards.

NAVI said the Junior squad had won multiple tier-two competitions, beaten RMR-level opposition and reached the top 30 of Valve's world ranking. The organization simultaneously announced that Drin “Makazze” Shaqiri would be promoted to its main roster.

The rest of that successful core was subsequently sold.

On August 1, 2025, NAVI officially announced that Krabeni, dem0n, cmtry, dziugss and coolio were joining FUT Esports. NAVI said the academy group had earned more than $200,000 in prize money during its time with the organization and highlighted its YaLLa Compass Qatar 2025 championship.

 

Timeline: From NAVI Academy to Thorin's Warning

 

Why the Story Matters for NAVI

This is more than another CS2 transfer rumor because NAVI developed both players themselves.

Academy programs are designed partly to create a pathway toward the senior roster. When former academy players become valuable tier-one prospects elsewhere, every subsequent roster decision naturally attracts scrutiny.

NAVI did successfully promote Makazze from the same broader academy project. The club therefore did extract direct first-team value from that generation.

The question raised by Thorin is whether NAVI could ultimately have extracted even more.

There is also an unusual reversal of negotiating power. Rather than academy graduates automatically viewing a return to NAVI as the obvious next career step, BanKs' account suggests dem0n and dziugss preferred to continue with FUT.

That makes FUT's competitive progress an important part of the story.

 

FUT's Esports World Cup Run Changes the Context

FUT Esports reached the Esports World Cup 2026 grand final before Team Spirit completed a 3–1 victory in Paris.

 

FUT's breakthrough makes Thorin's comments considerably more interesting than they would have been a year ago.

At the 2026 Esports World Cup, FUT reached the grand final before losing 3–1 to Team Spirit. The official tournament standings list FUT second with $340,000 in prize money.

The former NAVI Junior players were not merely passengers during the run.

For example, during FUT's 2–1 Round of 16 comeback against magic, dem0n finished with a 1.35 HLTV Rating 3.0 while dziugss recorded 1.24. Those numbers refer specifically to that series and should not be interpreted as their overall tournament ratings.

 

Key Details

 

Tactical and Roster Impact: What Could dziugss or dem0n Have Changed?

This is where speculation needs to be separated from confirmed information.

Thorin specifically highlighted dziugss as someone who could have made NAVI substantially stronger. That is his assessment rather than a demonstrated outcome.

We also do not know publicly what exact roster configuration NAVI envisioned for either reported transfer.

BanKs' account indicates that accommodating dziugss would have required a change to NAVI's lineup, but the player who would have been replaced should not be presented as confirmed without stronger sourcing.

NAVI's official team page currently lists Aleksib as in-game leader, b1t and Makazze among the active CS2 roster.

Therefore, any hypothetical "NAVI with dziugss" or "NAVI with dem0n" lineup remains exactly that: hypothetical.

 

Impact Analysis

FUT’s rise has strengthened the argument for roster continuity, with the former NAVI academy core developing into a team capable of competing deep into major international events.

 

For NAVI: the story puts additional attention on the organization's academy-to-first-team pathway. NAVI successfully promoted Makazze, but two other graduates are now contributing to one of 2026's breakthrough teams.

For FUT: retaining dem0n and dziugss strengthens continuity after their EWC run. Their August contract extensions also reduce the immediate uncertainty created by outside transfer interest.

For dem0n and dziugss: rejecting a reported NAVI opportunity would represent a significant vote of confidence in their current project if BanKs' information is accurate.

For the wider CS2 scene: the situation illustrates why successful young cores do not necessarily need to split immediately when bigger organizations show interest. FUT's results give its players a competitive reason to value continuity alongside whatever financial considerations exist.

 

Historical Comparison: NAVI's Academy Pipeline

The most useful comparison is inside NAVI's own system.

The same academy generation produced several players who followed different paths. Makazze was selected for promotion, while dem0n, dziugss, cmtry and Krabeni moved with coolio to FUT.

NAVI itself described that Junior squad as the best academy team in its history when announcing the roster's availability in June 2025.

That makes the group an unusually valuable case study.

Instead of judging NAVI's academy solely by how many players reached its first team, its success can also be measured by how many developed into internationally competitive professionals elsewhere.

 

What Changes Now?

Nothing changes immediately for either roster as a direct consequence of Thorin's comments.

FUT have already extended dem0n and dziugss, while there has been no official announcement that NAVI is reopening negotiations with either player.

The discussion therefore shifts from transfer speculation toward performance.

Every strong FUT result will strengthen the argument that preserving the former academy core was the right decision. Every NAVI success will make the missed-transfer narrative less important.

That is essentially why Thorin framed the end of the season as the point at which the decision can be judged more meaningfully.

 

What to Watch Next

The biggest indicator will be the relative trajectory of NAVI and FUT through the remainder of the 2026 season. Rather than focusing only on individual statistics, it will be worth comparing tournament finishes, consistency against elite opposition and whether FUT can reproduce its EWC-level form.

Future roster windows are another key factor. A renewed NAVI approach has not been confirmed, and FUT's contract extensions could change the economics of any future negotiations.

The status of the wider FUT core is also relevant. HLTV noted when announcing the extensions that FUT had not simultaneously provided an update on the contracts of Krabeni and cmtry.

 

FAQ

Did dem0n reject NAVI?

According to information shared by James “BanKs” Banks, NAVI made dem0n an offer and he declined it. NAVI has not publicly confirmed the reported negotiations, so the information should remain labeled as reported.

Did NAVI also try to sign dziugss?

Yes, according to the same report. BanKs said NAVI offered dziugss an opportunity to join its main CS2 roster, but the player declined.

What did Thorin say about NAVI?

Thorin argued that the end of the season would provide a better indication of who regrets the situation and suggested that dziugss could have significantly strengthened NAVI.

Did dem0n and dziugss previously play for NAVI?

Yes. Both were members of NAVI Junior before the core transferred to FUT Esports in August 2025.

Are dem0n and dziugss leaving FUT?

There is no confirmed indication of that. FUT extended the contracts of dem0n, dziugss and coach coolio in August 2026 following the team's strong competitive run.