Ukrainian esports organization NAVI has recently announced the addition of a 14-year-old prodigy, Artem ‘Niku’ Bachkur, to their academy squad, NAVI Junior. Despite his young age, Niku has already made a name for himself in the Dota 2 competitive scene.
NAVI Junior, formed in August 2022, has participated in two TI qualifiers and competed in the second division of the Eastern European DPC league. Niku will be joining the team as a mid laner, replacing Askar ‘toshiyb’ Zhumagulov, who left the team just one month after joining for the TI qualifiers.
At 14 years old, Niku will be the youngest player on the NAVI Junior roster, which consists of players aged 17 and 18. Although the current season has ended for the team, they will have plenty of time to prepare before facing strong opponents in the Dota 2 competitive circuit.
NAVI revealed that Niku excels at playing heroes such as Invoker, Puck, and Ember Spirit, which are popular choices among aggressive and mechanically skilled mid laners in Dota 2. His skill level is evident as he is ranked close to the top 100 on the European Leaderboard, an impressive feat considering the competition from professional players all over the world on the European servers.
While it remains to be seen how Niku will adapt to playing in a team environment, NAVI has a track record of discovering and nurturing young talent. Ilya ‘m0NESY’ Osipov, Valerij ‘b1t’ Vakhovsjkyj, and Danyyl ‘headtr1ck’ Valitov are some of the CS:GO players who started their careers in NAVI’s academy ranks.
With experienced coach Artstyle guiding them, NAVI Junior has the potential to make waves in the upcoming season. Fans and esports enthusiasts alike anticipate Niku’s debut and hope to witness his promising talent unfold.
Sources:
– Article Title: “NAVI signs 14-year-old midlane Dota 2 prodigy”
– Article Date: September 19, 2023
– Source: Titas Khan
– Source Publication Date: September 19, 2023
