The Ukrainian esports organization Natus Vincere (Na’Vi) has decided to dissolve its Fortnite roster. The gaming team is best known for its success in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, but they never boasted a large Fortnite roster. Now, the organization has turned away from Epic Games’ title, stating, “Today we close NAVI Fortnite team due to unprofitability of the title.”
At the time of disbandment, Na’Vi only held two players under contract: Quinten “Quinten” Van Der Zijpp and Levi “Lnuef” Edelijn. Both players reside in the Netherlands and are now free agents. Previously, Quinten and Lnuef qualified for the Fortnite World Cup Finals as a duo, and they continue to play together in trio and squad game modes.
Na’Vi leaves Fortnite behind
Many different esports organizations entered Fortnite as the prize pools jumped. Unfortunately, not all of these teams have stuck with the title. Mykhailo “M1ke” Palamar, Na’Vi’s Fortnite manager, shared why the organization is now leaving the game. “Unfortunately, despite huge interest in the discipline on behalf of the players, the publisher, Epic Games, does not support the esports clubs, completely ignoring their interests.” Palamar continued to talk about the restrictions for teams surrounding the World Cup Finals. Players were allowed one small team logo and one small sponsor on their clothing. Overall, Fortnite has not made it easy for esports organizations to prosper.
Natus Vincere plans to shift its focus towards other competitive titles. Mykhailo said, “Developing the esports scene exclusively based on huge prize pools is a short-run and risky model, so NAVI esports club made a decision to not maintain the Fortnite roster and focus on other titles.” In addition to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the Ukrainian organization also participates in Dota 2, FIFA, Paladins, and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.
Meanwhile, Quinten and Lnuef must now look for another organization to represent. They qualified for the Fortnite World Cup before signing with Na’Vi; however, the pair underperformed at the World Cup, finishing in 44th place. They then moved on to Trios with Curtis “AstroSMZ” Littler, where they managed to reach the Season X Finals. Quinten, Lnuef, and AstroSMZ finished in 12th in their Heat.
Published: Oct 29, 2019 10:00 am