NAVI will compete in the upcoming VALORANT EMEA Clash 2026 with a stand-in, as Uğur ‘Ruxic’ Güç has incurred a hand injury.
The Ukrainian esports organisation will instead field Herman ‘Kolosha’ Skrypka, who is currently signed to tier-two team Boars Gaming.
According to NAVI’s official press release, Ruxic is undergoing physiotherapy and is expected to return to the active roster for VCT EMEA Stage 1 in April.
The Turkish pro player signed with NAVI ahead of the 2025 VCT season and has been among the team’s top-performing members ever since. His high-fragging potential in the controller role earned him the 2025 Controller of the Year award within VCT EMEA.
This year, NAVI had a promising start at VCT EMEA Kickoff but ultimately missed out on a Masters Santiago spot after finishing 7th-8th in the event’s triple-elimination bracket.
NAVI has therefore become one of six VCT teams to compete against six Challengers squads in the inaugural VALORANT EMEA Clash. The first-of-its-kind tournament will take place from February 19th to 25th, offering a €25,000 (~£21,800) total prize pool.
EMEA Clash’s unique format features two simultaneous double-elimination brackets. Moreover, after an Alpha Bracket team suffers its first loss, it will be demoted to the lower bracket of the Omega Bracket and vice versa.
Who is Ruxic’s Stand-in Kolosha?
Kolosha has been active in EMEA’s tier-two VALORANT esports scene since 2023. In May 2025, the Ukrainian player joined Boars Gaming to compete in the NORTH//EAST Challengers circuit.
Under his current organisation, Kolosha has achieved a fourth-place finish in Challengers NORTH//EAST Stage 3 and won Red Bull Home Ground Ukraine.
Ruxic and his stand-in have vastly different agent pools in pro play, with the former mainly filling the smokes role within NAVI, while Kolosha prefers entry-duelists such as Neon and Waylay. However, both players have also played Chamber in their respective matches this year.
The VALORANT EMEA Clash will be Kolosha’s first opportunity to compete alongside and against tier-one rosters.
