Natus Vincere returns to official matches after a long break, with their first EPL Masters I game against Zero Tenacity scheduled for 21:00 Kyiv time. Captain gotthejuice shared his thoughts on the team’s current state, preparation, and expectations.

According to gotthejuice, The International remains as important as before due to its unique format and preparation time. He also noted that the prize pool reduction affects player motivation more than the tournament’s prestige. Regarding the current meta, gotthejuice stated that it is not particularly liked but not disliked, and the team prefers something new.

When asked about hero balance, gotthejuice identified Invoker as the most overpowered hero in pubs and Skadi as an underrated item. The team is focusing on improving map control and smoke usage, which are currently weak points. Gotthejuice and Niku identify themselves as the main carries in the team.

EPL Masters I is an important tournament for Natus Vincere, and the team’s preparation is going well. A win in EPL would provide a morale boost rather than a significant advantage. After EPL, the team plans to focus on qualifications and play more matches.

"The International continues to be as important as before, only because it differs from all tournaments during the year," gotthejuice said.

"Rather, we want something new than just a patch with +/- damage from skills," gotthejuice said.

"I think the most unpleasant hero in pubs is Invoker," gotthejuice said.