Kyrylo ‘ANGE1’ Karasov is a real esports veteran, carrying almost 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 crew is ready,” ANGE1 instructed Esports Insider in an unique interview following his first sequence win in opposition to Karmine Corp on the 2026 VCT EMEA Kickoff. “Clearly, not all the pieces works. We nonetheless have a number of gaps and a few misunderstandings. […] However I’m unsure if I went again in time, I might have carried out the preparation higher.”
ANGE1 spent nearly 15 years as knowledgeable Counter-Strike athlete earlier than making the change to VALORANT in 2020. All through his time in VALORANT esports and VCT, the Ukrainian participant grew to become recognized for his fearless Omen playstyle and distinctive methods.
ANGE1 On His Strategy To Teaching
When requested how his unconventional in-game management may have an effect on his teaching model, ANGE1 responded: “I’m not all the time going for it to be distinctive strats or distinctive comps. I’ve a couple of priorities. First precedence is gamers’ comfortability. […] I would like my gamers to ship so I wish to ensure they’re enjoying snug brokers, snug spots. Generally it even makes me use an agent which I might not, that I don’t suppose it’s optimum for the map.”
Nevertheless, the brand new coach nonetheless sees worth in enjoying off-meta crew compositions and throwing the occasional curveball at his opponents.
“It’s a lot better for those who play comps outdoors the meta as a result of enemies are usually not practising in opposition to it. They’re not enjoying officers in opposition to it. So every new sport might be one thing new. And it provides up. Like two or three rounds per sport, we simply win unexpectedly issue. […] After which in fact, if I see each of those click on, you may see one thing particular. However ultimately, the win is what issues.”
ANGE1’s teaching imaginative and prescient seems to be proper heading in the right direction to date, as NAVI secured a assured 2-0 victory in opposition to KC, additionally marking his first look sitting within the VCT teaching sales space.
“It was high-quality. You’d suppose I’d be extra nervous, however whenever you put together the crew, whenever you see that the crew is definitely ready, that it has all of the instruments to cope with most issues – each inside and outdoors the sport – you are feeling fairly calm,” defined the retired participant.
“Perhaps it’s gonna turn out to be 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 almost three years, the gamers relied on his decisive management, each on and off the server, to ascertain the crew 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.
Similar to ANGE1, Shao began his VALORANT esports journey with orgless crew 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 have been signed in 2024.
“I’m 90% positive that with every other IGL, it will be a lot tougher. As a result of we performed a lot with Shao. We’ve the identical imaginative and prescient. We went by the identical wins, the identical losses, and we truly perceive the sport the identical manner,” emphasised ANGE1.
As a retired IGL turned Head Coach, ANGE1 has targeted on making Shao’s transition into the IGL position 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 wish to give him all of the instruments doable to react to something taking place on the server,” defined ANGE1 within the post-match interview.
“Sure, it could be sloppy at first as a result of, for instance, regardless that we each love enjoying rounds sluggish to burn down the time, typically he’s not skilled sufficient to control rotations correctly. And it’s high-quality. We misplaced at this time, even 3/2 rounds due to it. However it’s going to 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 response to Ange1, hiro has additionally gone by some position changes.
With this in thoughts, ANGE1 has set elementary targets for his crew: “My aim for Kickoff is for us to be constant. […] Care about benefit. Be sure we now have the mentals on the right degree and this the principle focus. Yeah, we could be a bit off in particular person choices nonetheless, however I wish to have construction.
“I wish to begin with a construction after which out of that give an increasing number of freedom when individuals even have one thing to return to. As a result of I don’t need them to hitch the server and so they need to 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 out to be a top-performing crew in VCT EMEA, ANGE1 is just not looking for result-based targets or qualification for a world occasion. As a substitute, he goals to maintain his gamers targeted on no matter match comes subsequent.
“I by no means set targets to love prime three or prime two. I inform my crew that our aim is to win the subsequent sport,” shared ANGE1 with Esports Insider. “Concentrate on this activity and do your greatest. No matter occurs occurs. It’s a sport. It’s like for those who suppose an excessive amount of about some targets, outcomes or qualifying to LAN or getting prime two […] you’re gonna lose the give attention to what’s vital.”
NAVI will return to stage on January twenty third to face Group Heretics and the match might be streamed reside on VCT EMEA’s official Twitch and YouTube channels.
