The CIS-region Dota 2 scene has been shaken up with major roster changes. Natus Vincere (Na’Vi) and Virtus Pro (VP) have announced the trade of support players Vladimir “RodjER” Nikogosyan and Ilya “Lil” Ilyuk. This trade comes just days before the winter roster lock on Feb. 5. VP approached Na’Vi with a transfer offer, which was negotiated and agreed upon by both teams, with the inclusion of some cash in the deal.
According to Yevhen Zolotarov, CEO of Na’Vi, the transfer discussions began right after ESL One Genting. Both organizations agreed on the transfer sum and Na’Vi proposed to include Lil in the deal. VP accepted the proposal, leading to successful negotiations.
This roster change is considered one of the biggest in the current Pro Circuit “split” since Saahil “UNiVeRsE” Arora’s departure from Evil Geniuses. Lil has been a crucial part of VP’s success in 2017, winning and performing well in high-profile tournaments. RodjER, on the other hand, was recognized as one of the stars of Team Empire during their top 8 run at The International 7. Although he hasn’t achieved significant event results yet, being surrounded by the elite CIS players could elevate his performance.
Both Lil and RodjER will be taking on the utility support role for their new teams.
CIS-region, Dota 2, roster changes, Natus Vincere, Virtus Pro, trade, support players, winter roster lock, negotiations, Pro Circuit, Saahil Arora, Evil Geniuses, Southeast Asian, Fnatic, high-profile tournaments, Team Empire, The International 7, utility support role.