Bumych Gets Kicked Out of Navi

The saga of the exclusion of the well-known esports player and captain of the CS:GO team Boombl4 from Natus Vincere continues. To recall, Boombl4 was removed from the organization Natus Vincere on May 28th due to “reputational risks.” What exactly the team management meant by this is unknown, but let’s try to understand the root causes and consequences for all parties involved in the scandal.

A Little Background

Natus Vincere is well-known worldwide for its significant victories in various esports disciplines. However, what needs attention is the origin of the team. The organization was founded in Ukraine, specifically in the capital city of Kiev. As you may know, there is an ongoing political and military conflict between Ukraine and Russia. This has resulted in sharp and harsh criticism from Ukrainian society directed towards the Russian partners of the esports organization. Even the esports players with Russian citizenship have not been spared from the hate.

The Natus Vincere management has repeatedly commented on this matter, reassuring the public that they will not continue to work with representatives from Russia. However, in reality, it all comes down to not wanting to lose nearly 20 key players with Russian citizenship, who are vital in their respective teams. Moreover, the gaming season is in full swing, and making roster changes during this period is strongly undesirable.

But the Natus Vincere management had to take more decisive measures to avoid damaging the organization’s reputation in their homeland. The first step was the exclusion of the Russian player Boombl4 from the main CS:GO roster.

Why Boombl4 Specifically?

Kirill is not the only Russian in Natus Vincere, but also in the CS:GO team. There are two more esports players in the team – Denis “electronic” Sharipov and Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy. So why was the team captain excluded? The answer is also obvious – Kirill had already faced criticism from fans even before the conflict between the two countries due to his controversial public life. Lately, the situation has worsened because Kirill did not publicly oppose Russia’s foreign policy, which was demanded by the fans. Kirill’s wife added fuel to the fire. Lika posted on social media a photo of herself posing against the backdrop of the Victory Day Parade with the caption “I love Russia!”

Fans immediately recalled Kirill’s personal life, specifically his marriage to a woman with a questionable past. It’s worth noting that right after the public announcement of Kirill and Lika’s wedding, explicit video materials of her involvement in escort services surfaced on the internet. Additionally, they remembered the purchase of real estate in Moscow, despite Natus Vincere’s promise to relocate all team members. Add the political aspect to this, and the overall picture becomes clear.

What Awaits Natus Vincere and Boombl4 Himself?

Natus Vincere will quickly find a solution to the absence of a fifth team member. The question is how effective the replacement will be. There are enough options both in the youth team and among competitors. Interestingly, Natus Vincere made a roster change in another team, removing a Ukrainian esports player and adding a Russian one.

As for Boombl4, his situation is quite challenging due to the ongoing divorce scandal. Moreover, not many Russian esports organizations would be willing to invite Kirill because of his financial demands. Looking towards Europe, all the teams are already fully formed.

It’s possible that Boombl4 may agree to a lower salary and play for a lesser-known team, skipping a few tournaments. But if we talk about returning to the global stage, everything remains uncertain.

In any case, neutral fans have lost in all respects: a prominent esports player has left, the strong NAVI team can no longer compete for gold due to a series of changes, and the future for both sides remains uncertain. We can only hope for the best and await further news!