KuroKy Stands-in for NAVI in Elite League Season 2

Dota 2 veteran Kuro "KuroKy" Salehi Takhasomi made a surprise return to Natus Vincere (NAVI) as a stand-in during the Elite League Season 2, today. This brief reunion happened after a decade since KuroKy last wore the NAVI jersey in 2014.

NAVI's decision to call upon KuroKy came after Arman "Malady" Orazbayev, was unable to participate in the June 28 match against L1GA Team due to health concerns. The choice raised eyebrows in the Dota 2 community, as few would have predicted KuroKy as a potential stand-in.

Don't worry everyone, Kuro isn't joining NAVI forever.

KuroKy's Phoenix secures game one of the series

KuroKy hit the ground running in game one with a solid Phoenix performance, winning the first match versus L1GA. However, this success didn't carry through the entire series, as NAVI ultimately lost 2-1 to L1GA Team, dropping to the lower bracket of the tournament.

Following the L1GA match-up, NAVI returned to their regular lineup, with Malady back in the roster for their lower bracket match against Kalmychata. KuroKy's appearance, while brief, left fans pondering the current state of his career.

Despite KuroKy's legendary status, many in the Dota 2 community now view him as past his prime. Critics point to his limited participation in ranked play and his team's absence from major events over the past two years as evidence of his declining ability to compete at the highest level.

In the last two seasons, Nigma players subbing in for other teams also became a trend. Considering Nigma has been consistently getting eliminated from all major qualifiers, it gives players a lot of free time to explore other options, eventually causing some of them to leave as Mind Control joined OG as loan first in 2023 before deciding on fully leaving the team.

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Featured Image Source: Nigma Galaxy