Natus Vincere top laner Volodymyr "Maynter" Sorokin believes G2 Esports can look like "prime T1" one day and be almost unrecognizable the next. Ahead of NAVI’s Week 2 matches in the LEC 2026 Summer, the Ukrainian player shared his thoughts on G2, SK Gaming, BrokenBlade, and his team’s chances of reaching Worlds.
Maynter’s comments come at an important stage of NAVI’s Summer Split campaign. After splitting their opening week 1-1, the team is trying to establish itself among Europe’s stronger teams, while Maynter sees a deep playoff run as a more immediate personal goal than simply qualifying for Worlds.
NAVI Begin Summer Split With a 1-1 Record
NAVI opened their LEC 2026 Summer campaign with a loss to Karmine Corp before recovering with a 2:0 victory over Shifters. Despite the defeat, Maynter revealed that he did not expect NAVI to beat Karmine Corp early in the game, considering their reputation as one of Europe's strongest early-game teams.
The Ukrainian top laner was particularly frustrated by the result because NAVI had built around a 6,000 gold lead in both games but still failed to close out the series. However, he believes the experience can become an important lesson for the team moving forward.
The subsequent win over Shifters was especially important for NAVI's confidence. Maynter explained that avoiding an 0-2 start helped remove some of the pressure surrounding the team.
It’s a good start. It will give us motivation to improve and, at the same time, remove this fear of losing, since we already got a win on the board.
Maynter Identifies NAVI’s Main Problem
Reflecting on the team's performances, Maynter admitted that NAVI sometimes goes too far during fights, but he believes another issue has been more damaging. According to the top laner, the team has often surrendered advantageous positions instead of confidently defending them.
Sometimes we definitely go too far, but in my eyes, the biggest issue we had was giving away positions too easily.
Maynter explained that NAVI could establish strong positions, apply poke and build an advantage, only to retreat as soon as the opponent attempted to contest the area. This allowed their opponents to regain territory they should not have been able to take and eventually created unfavorable fights.
The player believes this problem is more important for NAVI to address than simply becoming less aggressive.
All in all, going too deep is far easier of an issue to fix than not going in at all.
Maynter Rates Europe’s Best Laning Top Laners
Maynter was also asked about his individual performances against Rooster and Canna. He highlighted Rooster as one of the most dangerous laning opponents in the LEC, alongside Naak Nako and Canna.
Those three form the top three.
The NAVI player was particularly satisfied with how he handled his matchup against Rooster. He pointed out that Rooster had previously demonstrated an ability to dominate lanes against Canna and Naak Nako, making surviving the K’Sante-Rumble matchup without giving up plates or deaths a significant achievement for Maynter.
He also said that performing well individually has a direct effect on his confidence going into subsequent games.
When you’re a much better guy and playing good, you’re happy and more confident for the next game.
BrokenBlade’s Strength Lies Beyond the Laning Phase
Maynter also discussed his upcoming matchup with G2's BrokenBlade. Although he praised the veteran's overall level and game knowledge, he does not consider him among Europe's best laning top laners.
I respect BrokenBlade and he’s a really good guy, but he’s not a good toplaner because of laning.
Instead, Maynter believes BrokenBlade's greatest strength is his understanding of the game and ability to influence the map. His champion pool, rotations, shot-calling, and willingness to sacrifice his own lane for advantages elsewhere make him particularly dangerous.
BrokenBlade is the kind that will come onto the Summoner’s Rift and gap you in terms of macro.
Maynter added that BrokenBlade can use unconventional picks and map movements to create advantages for his team rather than simply focusing on winning his own lane.
A Deep Playoff Run Is Maynter’s Main Goal
While reaching Worlds remains a shared objective within NAVI, Maynter has a slightly different priority for the remainder of the season. He wants the team to make a deep playoff run, ideally reaching the semifinals or finals.
Personally, I see things a bit differently. I would value making a deep run into playoffs, perhaps even reaching semifinals or finals, as my number one goal.
The top laner believes the race for Europe's third Worlds spot is still open. While G2 and Karmine Corp look particularly strong, Maynter does not see another team as an undisputed favorite for the final qualification spot.
It could be us, it could be SK, it could be MKOI—it can be almost anyone.
For Maynter personally, reaching a LAN semifinal would be a major achievement and one of the experiences he wants to have before the end of the year.
NAVI therefore enter the next stage of the LEC 2026 Summer with both immediate and long-term objectives. The upcoming games against SK and G2 will provide an early indication of whether the team can turn its strong moments into consistent results, while Maynter's comments show that he expects NAVI to compete for a deep playoff run rather than simply settle for a Worlds qualification spot
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