Examining The Fates of Natus Vincere and Gambit With Zeus Moving
Few expected Gambit Esports to win the PGL Krakow 2017 Major a few weeks ago. But when they did, many pointed to Daniil “Zeus” Teslenko as the catalyst for Gambit’s win and steady rise in the CS:GO scene.
Now that Zeus has rejoined Na’Vi due to a disagreement over coach Mykhailo “kane” Blagin’s dismissal, what will happen to Gambit and their future?
The road to Gambit’s big win
At the beginning of the Krakow Major, Gambit was still riding their pre-Zeus reputation and as such, their odds were strikingly low. Their first match against mousesports saw them with a 42 percent chance of winning, according to GosuGamers. Even after this initial win, their chances dropped to 33 percent against G2 and 41 percent against Fnatic.
Moving on to the final, their odds looked promising, a 54 percent probability of victory against Immortals. Compared to Immortals’ tough run, Gambit had breezed through their matches to that point. While Zeus may not have been the exclusive reason for Gambit coming out on top, he was certainly a factor.
Zeus says goodbye, and hello again
Now that Zeus has left, there’s a good chance Gambit’s odds will get longer. And while they may pick up a capable replacement, their future is very uncertain.
Meanwhile, Na’Vi haven’t been in top form since they brought in Aleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev to replace Zeus one year ago. Na’Vi was eliminated in Round Four of Krakow after losing to G2, Immortals, and Fnatic. When looking at their tournament results, there is a similar pattern to Gambit’s pre- and post-Zeus period.
What does the future hold?
Ultimately, this roster move severely disadvantaged Gambit. Losing their captain could potentially see them regress to their lackluster, pre-Zeus form. There is some hope left for the roster, however, as Dauren “AdreN” Kystaubayev was named MVP of the Major by HLTV.
Meanwhile, Na’Vi could very well become a top team again. If s1mple continues to be the AWPer he usually is and Zeus brings the dedication he had on Gambit, they could be an excellent CIS team. Only time will tell.
