“I’ve experimented the most I’ve ever experimented this off-season” - NAVI hiro on His Explosive Start to 2026 EMEA Kickoff

NAVI are storming into the lead at VCT EMEA Kickoff after taking down yet another name on their path to Masters Santiago qualification. On Day 1, they took down Karmine Corp. In their follow-up match, they faced Team Heretics. While a closer affair this time around, NAVI still emerged victorious after a lengthy clash. With this win, the team is 2 wins away from a spot at the first international event of the year. 

Following their victory, Strafe Esports sat down with Natus Vincere (NAVI) player Emirhan “hiro” Kat to speak on the team’s success thus far at Kickoff, his personal preparation in the off-season, the team’s goals for the season, and so much more in this exclusive interview.

*The following interview has been lightly edited for readability.

“I like this format. I think there’s more skill to it now.”

Blasting into a strong 8-4 lead on Bind, their claim on the second pistol round of the series took them into a commanding lead to drive home Map 1. However, Team Heretics did not make the task easy, with NAVI only eventually closing out the map 13-10 thanks to a well-executed round driven by ultimates.

Map 2 was no easy run for NAVI. Despite a lead in the series, Team Heretics were quick to seize back control on their own map pick, claiming an equally commanding 9-3 lead coming into the second half of the map off the back of a stellar Attack. On Defense, NAVI found their mettle, making the map a close affair but ultimately falling short at 11-13.

But it was on the deciding map of Split where NAVI charged into the lead. With a Defense that showed few deficiencies, NAVI walked into the second half leading 9-3 before cleanly closing out the map 13-6.   

Congratulations on your win today. What are your immediate takeaways from the series against Heretics?

Hiro: Thank you. I mean, my thoughts, nothing like crazy. I was expecting us to do good because we’ve prepared a lot, like a lot every game and we’ve just spent a lot of time fine-tuning everything. So, I’m very happy we did good.

NAVI is turning heads this season. Two days ago, you took down Karmine Corp and now you’ve taken down Heretics. You’re on a roll in the Upper bracket. Firstly, what are your thoughts on the new triple-elimination format? Do you see it as good change?

Hiro: I like it. I think it’s a nice thing for sure. Like, the fact that you don’t get like two unlucky games and then you’re instantly out. It was annoying in Kickoff, because I remember we like lost, then won one, and then just instantly lost and we were just out of the Kickoff, and it was just waiting for like a few months and then Stage 1.

I like that it takes longer now and there’s more, I would say like, skill to it. Because it’s not just one-two games and you’re gone. You actually have to fight, and everyone has to get there by their own skill. You can’t just get there with luck I feel.

What do you think of the matchups you’ve had so far? Any teams you have in mind that you’d really want to play?

Hiro: I think so far, it’s nice. The bracket we started with, it’s good. I think we’re doing good and I hope it’ll go better from here and we’ll go further and hopefully make it to Santiago. As for teams I’d want to face, I already said it in a past interview. They’re in a different region but I’d want to face Furia. If I had to say this region, then maybe Fnatic. I think it would be a fun game going against them.

No Vitality for you?

Hiro: I mean Vitality as well. They look scary. They look very good, if I do say so. But I think going against Fnatic would be fun especially because of last year. We’ve gone against them a lot I’m pretty sure, and I think they ended up being the team on top. So, I want to get revenge for that.

If everything lines up perfectly for NAVI this season, where do you place this team of five?

Hiro: I’ve thought about this a lot and like, I don’t want to put very high expectations on us. So, I would say, I’m just hoping to qualify for one or two events and make it as far as we can. I don’t want to put very high expectations. That was one thing I did last year. I put very high expectations on us and making it very far. And it kind of just puts pressure on you when you really don’t have to have it. Just play your own game.

“The changes are good…it gives me more time to manage everything and play my site properly”

Riot Games’ radical Patch 11.08 and subsequent patches have attempted to course-correct VALORANT back towards its roots of more deliberate utility and improving gunfight importance has seen a massive workload for teams to prep for heading into Kickoff.

There were a lot of changes to the game this off-season. New map rotation, agent patches, the Bandit’s introduction. What are your thoughts on all these changes?

Hiro: In general, I think the changes are good. Adding the new gun, at first, I was a bit puzzled, like why are they adding a new gun when I feel it’s not really necessary, but I think it was an okay change. The gun is, I would say, pretty balanced, maybe even a bit weak I would say.

But in general, the small things like delaying the rechargeable utility, it helps me out, especially as a sentinel player. Not having to worry about the insta-default into wait 30-40 seconds then re-hit. You have to wait a minute for that dart or reveal. It gives me more time to properly managed everything on site and play my site properly.

“He really cares about all the small things in the team”

In a furious battlefield that continues to rage in VCT EMEA as Kickoff unfolds, NAVI has quickly emerged as one of the frontrunner teams displaying immense potential. Fans have made note of their well-drilled approach, attributing the success partly to new Head Coach Kyrylo “ANGE1” Karasov who has quickly turned his former roster into a force to be reckoned with.

You’ve worked under a fair few coaches now. You’ve had Elmapuddy back during your Fnatic days and then Happy last year. Now you have ANGE1. In terms of the day-to-day, what’s been the biggest change with ANGE1’s coaching voice?

Hiro: It’s like good changes, of course. ANGE1, he puts in a lot of work, and he really cares about all the small things in the team, which I like. He works a lot on like, sort of helping us out with every small thing in the team, which I think is nice. He’s very smart and thoughtful on those small things.

And even macro/micro, helping Shao properly understand how IGL-ing works as well. It’s very, very nice to have him as a coach I would say. He really cares about the small things, like if a player is comfortable playing an agent, or like if he wants to try out something.

The whole Tejo thing today was mainly his idea. Like, I had thoughts of it, but it was mainly his idea. He was like, ‘do you want to try it?’ and we ended up trying it and it went really well and I like it a lot. I think it’s a very fun role and agent to play. It’s kind of like when I was on Fnatic and playing initiator. But like, I understand it more now I would say. I’ve had a lot more experience and time playing on stage. Playing with different people and experimenting.

“When people think of me, I want them to think of a good player, someone that is reliable”

Coming into his third year in the VCT, hiro is recognized by many but this Kickoff has been a true breakout in many ways for the young player. Throughout both this and the last series, hiro has proven an integral part of NAVI’s new firepower, delivering 102 kills across the 5 maps played thus far.

This is your second year on NAVI now. You’re part of the experienced group now with two new players on your team. What’s the one skill you’d like to establish for yourself by the end of 2026 that you’d like to be known for?

Hiro: The main thing I would like to be established in and out of the team would be something like respect. Knowing that people would, if they look at me or like hear of me, they would like think of a good player and someone that is reliable.

You’re making good headway towards that already based on your first two series. What did you change personally during the off-season?

Hiro: Uhh… I changed a good amount. I’ve experimented the most I’ve ever experimented this off-season. Like personally, I’ve worked really, really hard, in-game, out of game. Streaming a lot, trying different things and being very open-minded on changes that I would personally think are like good and just trying it out, seeing how it goes.

I’ve tried different resolutions, different sensitivities, different characters, different crosshairs, different mouse pads. Just spent a lot of time on everything I could think of to maximize my potential.

I remember seeing you at Champions 2025. People were sharing on social media, and I recall spotting you plenty of times in the crowd. Did you draw inspiration while you were there? Is that a stage you’re envisioning stepping on this year?

Hiro: Yeah, especially looking at, like visiting it myself, I think, helped a lot. It made me a lot hungrier, and I want to be on that stage. Not just someone watching but actually playing and competing on that stage. And that’s like the main thing. Just being there to watch all the games and having that feeling of like, I can’t, I’m not really playing and I have to just watch. It made me really hungry and motivated to step up my game, to get on that stage myself and see everyone looking at me instead of looking at the players.

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Featured Image Credit: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games