NAVI announced a major roster change for Dota 2, with veteran player Zayac retiring.

With just months to go before The International (TI) and the eSports World Cup in 2026, the renowned Eastern European eSports club Natus Vincere (NAVI) has officially announced its first major roster change of the season.

Zayac, the veteran captain and position 4 player who served NAVI for over two years, has officially left the team, and former youth team player daze has returned to take over. As an experienced and seasoned support player, Zayac has devoted a great deal of effort to NAVI over the past three years.

Zayac previously played alternately for the main team and NAVI Junior, successfully leading the young academy players to impressive results and enabling them to be promoted to the main roster ahead of TI 2025. With Zayac's departure, it is widely speculated that he may join MOUZ to fill the void left by their retired captain, Seleri.

The player taking over the reins, daze, is no stranger to NAVI. This young player began his professional career with NAVI's youth academy in 2022, left the team at the end of 2024, and then spent last season playing for OG, gaining valuable experience. His return to replace the experienced veteran is a sound strategic move for NAVI.

Looking back on the past year, although NAVI successfully entered the ranks of top-tier tournaments in 2025, their overall performance lacked substantial breakthroughs, with mediocre results in tournaments such as BLAST Slam. At the beginning of the 2026 season, after securing second place in BLAST Slam VI, the team suffered a series of early exits.

NAVI hopes daze's return will inject much-needed energy into the team and be the final piece of the puzzle to break through their current performance plateau. This rebuilt team will make their debut in the upcoming crucial qualifiers, and we look forward to seeing them return to their peak.

Image source: Internet