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Bogdan “sheydos” Naumov has officially announced his free agency, confirming he is on the lookout for a new team ahead of the 2026 VCT season.

The Russian player revealed the news in a social media post, saying he is feeling refreshed and ready after stepping away during Stage 2 to focus on both his physical and mental health.

“After I took a break for the second stage to fully recover both physically and mentally, I’m more motivated than ever to win and move forward,” sheydos wrote. “I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity. I want to thank everyone I worked with over the past three years at KOI. Unfortunately, we did not achieve what this organisation and fans deserved. It’s time to move and accept the mistakes that were made.”

Three years with KOI

sheydos has been with KOI since the beginning of the VCT partnership era in 2023. Before joining the organisation, he spent 2022 with M3 Champions and rose to prominence during his time with Gambit Esports, where he helped the team win Masters Berlin and secure a second-place finish at Champions 2021 alongside teammates nAts, Chronicle, and Redgar.

Known for his flexibility as a Sentinel and Initiator player, sheydos began the 2025 season as KOI’s go-to Tejo pick, also logging time on Breach and Killjoy. However, following KOI’s underwhelming results, he was benched at the end of EMEA Stage 1 as part of a midseason rebuild.

KOI’s struggles and mass departures

Results were tough for KOI across the partnership era. With sheydos in the starting lineup, the team finished ninth in the 2023 EMEA League, last place in Stage 2 of 2024, and tied for ninth–tenth in Stage 1 of 2025. The rebuild did little to change things, with KOI again finishing ninth–tenth in Stage 2 this year.

Since then, KOI has seen a major shake-up. Coaches simoz, Bambino, and Gorilla, along with players baddyG, MONSTEERR, nataNk, Filu, soulcas, and flyuh, have all left or entered restricted free agency. Just weeks ago, Riot confirmed it had ended its partnership with the organisation, leaving KOI’s future in competitive VALORANT uncertain.

At present, KOI has no active VCT roster. Its inactive list still includes Kamil “baddyG” Graniczka, Ondřej “MONSTEERR” Petrů, Nathan “nataNk” Bocqueho, and head coach Simone “simoz” Giovannini.

What’s next for sheydos?

After a short break away from competition, sheydos says he’s more motivated than ever to return to the top level. With his track record of international success and versatility in multiple roles, he could be a valuable pickup for organisations looking to strengthen their roster ahead of 2026.