Natus Vincere may be saying goodbye to a longtime member of the team next year. Na’Vi captain Danylo “Zeus” Teslenko has said in an interview with HLTV that he plans to retire in 2019.
2019 = End (?)
— Zeus // My book is OUT NOW (@ZeusCSGO) December 16, 2018
His announcement comes right after Na’Vi would finish BLAST Pro Series Lisbon in second place behind Astralis. It was another disappointing runner-up finish for the CIS superteam, who has not had the success they have wanted after the player break. Although the second-place finish was a nice improvement over their performances over the past few months, they were still looking to close out 2018 on a big win, but instead are heading into the new year with more questions rather than answers.
A Flash in the Pan?
Even though Na’Vi had a good year in terms of results, it was still disappointing for one of the best teams in the world. For example, the team would only win four events in 2018, with only one after the player break. Na’Vi would win season five of StarSeries, the 2018 Asia Championships, ESL One Cologne and more recently, BLAST Pro Series Copenhagen. Also, they would be runner-ups events like StarLadder, Dreamhack Masters Marseille, and the London Major. “All in all, with a second-place finish at the Major, I would give it a four out of five,” says Zeus.
Additionally, Zeus would speak about their shortcomings against Astralis. He would say, “They [Astralis] had a better structure and chose the right tournaments. But, in general, the team is stronger collectively. They have a professional approach. This is the reason they’re number one. We did not do all we could to employ a professional approach to its maximum. For this reason, we remained number 2”. Astralis would solidify themselves as one of the best teams in CSGO history after winning thirteen events in the year.
It was looking like Na’Vi would start up their own era in the summertime. After winning three big events in a row, many people were wondering if Na’Vi were about to halt the Astralis freight train. However, after ESL One Cologne, the team wouldn’t be able to find much success anymore. Although it wasn’t a true fall from grace, they wouldn’t find themselves at the top of the CSGO world as often.
Na’Vi, Simple, and the Future
Looking ahead, Na’Vi may have some difficult decisions for the future. For example, Zeus says that he is ready to retire by 2019. “As it stands, in 2019 I plan to end my career as a player, more likely towards the end of the year, maybe the middle, I’m not sure yet,” the in-game leader would tell HLTV. He also says that he and Na’Vi will be competing in fewer events “that [they] should prioritize as a team, where [they] will perform and do [their] best to win”.
However, the big question mark surrounds star player Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev, and his future with Natus Vincere. Zeus would address the situation, saying, “Teams have been interested in him all year. It’s always a possibility because he’s one of the best players in the world, maybe even the best. We will see come the end of the year. It will be his decision to make. There’s a chance [that he leaves], yes”. Should s1mple and Zeus end up leaving next year, it will truly be an end of an era with Na’Vi.
All the same, we wish Zeus and his team the best of luck in the next year.
What are your thoughts on Zeus’ retirement plans for 2019? Let us know what you think in the comments below! If you want more CSGO coverage, check us out here!
