Kyrylo ‘ANGE1’ Karasov is a real esports veteran, carrying practically 20 years of aggressive expertise in Counter-Strike and VALORANT.
Following a three-year tenure as NAVI’s in-game chief (IGL), ANGE1 introduced his retirement in late 2025. However moderately than having fun with a well-deserved break from competitors, the VALORANT legend has returned to assist his organisation as its new Head Coach.
“I do know the group is ready,” ANGE1 informed Esports Insider in an unique interview following his first sequence win towards Karmine Corp on the 2026 VCT EMEA Kickoff. “Clearly, not all the things works. We nonetheless have plenty of gaps and a few misunderstandings. […] However I’m unsure if I went again in time, I might have achieved the preparation higher.”
ANGE1 spent nearly 15 years as an expert Counter-Strike athlete earlier than making the swap to VALORANT in 2020. All through his time in VALORANT esports and VCT, the Ukrainian participant grew to become identified for his fearless Omen playstyle and distinctive methods.
ANGE1 On His Method To Teaching
When requested how his unconventional in-game management would possibly have an effect on his teaching model, ANGE1 responded: “I’m not at all times going for it to be distinctive strats or distinctive comps. I’ve a number of priorities. First precedence is gamers’ comfortability. […] I would like my gamers to ship so I need to make sure that they’re enjoying snug brokers, snug spots. Generally it even makes me use an agent which I’d not, that I don’t assume it’s optimum for the map.”
Nevertheless, the brand new coach nonetheless sees worth in enjoying off-meta group compositions and throwing the occasional curveball at his opponents.
“It’s significantly better if you happen to play comps exterior the meta as a result of enemies aren’t practising towards it. They’re not enjoying officers towards it. So every new sport can be one thing new. And it provides up. Like two or three rounds per sport, we simply win without warning issue. […] After which in fact, if I see each of those click on, you would possibly see one thing particular. However in the long run, the win is what issues.”
ANGE1’s teaching imaginative and prescient seems to be proper on course thus far, as NAVI secured a assured 2-0 victory towards KC, additionally marking his first look sitting within the VCT teaching sales space.
“It was nice. You’d assume I’d be extra nervous, however whenever you put together the group, whenever you see that the group is definitely ready, that it has all of the instruments to take care of most issues – each inside and out of doors the sport – you’re feeling fairly calm,” defined the retired participant.
“Possibly it’s gonna turn into extra nervous later […] when it’s gonna get too shaky, however proper now, I’m good.”
Shao Steps Into ANGE1’s Footwear
When ANGE1 stepped away from NAVI’s energetic roster to pursue teaching, he left a major structural hole throughout the lineup. For practically three years, the gamers relied on his decisive management, each on and off the server, to determine the group a constant top-three contender in VCT EMEA.
It appears self-explanatory why Andrei ‘Shao’ Kiprskii, the one individual to have performed alongside ANGE1 for the longest time, was chosen as his IGL successor on NAVI.
Identical to ANGE1, Shao began his VALORANT esports journey with orgless group PartyParrots earlier than becoming a member of FunPlus Phoenix in mid-2020 and NAVI two years later. This makes him the longest-standing energetic participant on the roster, adopted by Emirhan ‘hiro’ Kat and Uğur ‘Ruxic’ Gü, who had been signed in 2024.
“I’m 90% positive that with every other IGL, it will be a lot more durable. As a result of we performed a lot with Shao. We have now the identical imaginative and prescient. We went by way of the identical wins, the identical losses, and we truly perceive the sport the identical means,” emphasised ANGE1.
As a retired IGL turned Head Coach, ANGE1 has centered on making Shao’s transition into the IGL function as seamless as doable.
“Proper now, I’m attempting to take off as a lot work from Shao’s shoulders as doable. I’m attempting to do strats. I’m attempting to do defaults, sport plans. I need to give him all of the instruments doable to react to something occurring on the server,” defined ANGE1 within the post-match interview.
“Sure, it could be sloppy to start with as a result of, for instance, although we each love enjoying rounds gradual to burn down the time, generally he’s not skilled sufficient to control rotations correctly. And it’s nice. We misplaced in the present day, even 3/2 rounds due to it. However it should include time, and it’s an vital a part of the sport.”
Heading into the 2026 VCT season, ANGE1’s retirement was not the one main change to the NAVI roster.
The organisation bid farewell to Alex ‘alexiiik’ Hawlasek, signing former KOI duelist Dawid ‘Filu’ Czarnecki and BBL Esports’ Volkan ‘sociablEE’ Yönal. In keeping with Ange1, hiro has additionally gone by way of some function changes.
With this in thoughts, ANGE1 has set elementary targets for his group: “My aim for Kickoff is for us to be constant. […] Care about benefit. Ensure that we now have the mentals on the correct stage and this the principle focus. Yeah, we could be a bit off in particular person choices nonetheless, however I need to have construction.
“I need to begin with a construction after which out of that give increasingly more freedom when folks even have one thing to return to. As a result of I don’t need them to affix the server and so they should improvise to win. I would like them to have a primary construction the place they go and play with.”
Equally, whereas NAVI has showcased the potential to turn into a top-performing group in VCT EMEA, ANGE1 isn’t searching for result-based targets or qualification for a world occasion. As an alternative, he goals to maintain his gamers centered on no matter match comes subsequent.
“I by no means set targets to love high three or high two. I inform my group that our aim is to win the following sport,” shared ANGE1 with Esports Insider. “Deal with this activity and do your finest. No matter occurs occurs. It’s a sport. It’s like if you happen to assume an excessive amount of about some targets, outcomes or qualifying to LAN or getting high two […] you’re gonna lose the concentrate on what’s vital.”
NAVI will return to stage on January twenty third to face Workforce Heretics and the match can be streamed dwell on VCT EMEA’s official Twitch and YouTube channels.
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