NAVI Bench Koalanoob, Enters Restricted Free Agency

Koalanoob on stage at VCT 2025: EMEA Kickoff

Gianfranco “koalanoob” Potestio has been benched by Natus Vincere and is allowed to listen to offers as a restricted free agent.

NAVI imported the Duelist player from M80 in the North American Challengers Circuit, where he won back-to-back Challengers League North America titles in 2023 and 2024 but failed to either of the Ascension tournaments with the Bomb Squad.

While his role of being the team’s entry fragger did not change, his in-game roles did. He played regular duelists like Raze, Jett, and Yoru, but also Sage and Chamber on Lotus, as well as Omen on Icebox.

NAVI and koalanoob crashed out of EMEA Kickoff early, finishing 9th — 12th, but did manage to qualify for the EMEA Stage 1 Playoffs with a 3–2 record. However, NAVI would lose their first match in the playoffs against BBL Esports, before bouncing back with a Lower Round 1 win over Karmine Corp and eventually being eliminated by eventual Masters Toronto qualifiers in Team Liquid.

NAVI’s benching of koalanoob means that they once again are able to import a player from another region, but a successor has not been picked at the time of writing.