Ardis "ardiis" Svarenieks, Dmitry "SUYGETSU" Ilyushin and Pontus "Zyppan" Eek of FunPlus Phoenix appear onstage after victory at the VALORANT Champions Tour: Stage 2 Masters Grand Finals on July 24, 2022 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

ardiis move to Natus Vincere edges closer

By George Geddes

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Sep 28, 2023

Reading time: 2 min

European Valorant player Ardis Svarenieks is set to return to the region by joining Natus Vincere, following weeks of speculation surrounding his future, it was revealed today. 

ardiis was added to the global contract database with Na’Vi, which confirmed that the British-Latvian player will compete in the EMEA Valorant Champions Tour for the Ukrainian-based organization next year. 

ardiis is set to complete the roster following the replacement of Mehmet “cNed” Yağız İpek on the team. The team has yet to make a formal announcement at the time of publication. 

His contract is set to expire in 2025, according to the database

ardiis returns following a stint in the States 

The return of ardiis will likely be met with praise from Na’Vi fans since they’re familiar with his performance on the FunPlus Phoenix team that was dominant for a period last year. 

Prior to the partnership system introduced late last year, FPX was victorious at VCT Stage 2 Masters, which took place in Copenhagen, Denmark, last July. ardiis was integral to the success of the roster, which hasn’t changed a player since his transfer to NRG. With the transfer, Na’Vi will field the same roster that was victorious in Copenhagen. 

The player returns to Europe following a stint in the Americas region with North American team NRG. He joined the team alongside the former OpTic Gaming core while Sam “S0m” Oh was selected as the final player. 

NRG had a disappointing showing at Valorant Champions, which led to changes in the roster, as first reported by WIN.gg. The team fell to Chinese underdogs Bilibili Gaming following two defeats, which eliminated NRG from the tournament early. 

But both Na’Vi and NRG will return to the respective international leagues at the start of next year. There’s even a chance that the two teams will face off against each other if both qualify for Masters or Champions. 

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