Na’Vi collapses under pressure, exiting the tournament prematurely.
Natus Vincere entered the Shanghai Major as the clear favorites to defend their championship title, but their campaign ended with a 1-2 loss to HEROIC. The reigning champions are now out of contention, guaranteeing a new team will claim the trophy next weekend. After a turbulent Elimination Stage featuring heavy defeats against Spirit and MIBR, Na’Vi’s reign has come to an abrupt conclusion.
A major upset as title favorites falter
Na’Vi began the Elimination Stage on a promising note, defeating Team Liquid, which had dominated the Opening Stage. Although the win wasn’t their best showing, it reinforced fans’ and analysts’ confidence that Na’Vi would cruise to the playoffs. However, those expectations unraveled quickly.
In their next best-of-one, MIBR delivered a shocking performance on Inferno. With a stellar T side, MIBR led 9-3 at the half. Na’Vi’s captain, Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen, fought hard to rally his team during the comeback attempt, but Felipe “insani” Yuji’s exceptional 24-kill showing secured MIBR’s upset victory over the defending champions.
The stage became even more challenging for Na’Vi. Danil “donk” Kryshkovets’ Spirit demolished them on Mirage with a crushing 13-2 scoreline. Despite rebounding with a win against GamerLegion to reach the 2-2 decider, Na’Vi faced an energized HEROIC team determined to make the playoffs.
HEROIC dismantled Na’Vi on Mirage in the opening map of their elimination series, securing a dominant 13-3 victory. While Na’Vi fought back on Nuke with a 13-5 win, the decisive map on Ancient saw HEROIC rise to the occasion. Guy “NertZ” Iluz led the charge with a phenomenal 23-kill, 1.58-rated performance, sealing HEROIC’s triumph and ending Na’Vi’s run in Shanghai.
What’s next for Na’Vi?
Despite their disappointing exit, Na’Vi remains the most decorated CS2 team of 2024. Their achievements include four major titles: the Copenhagen Major, an ESL Pro League victory, IEM Rio, and the inaugural Esports World Cup.
Beyond their wins, Andrij “Blad3” Ghorodensjkyj’s roster has consistently performed at offline events. They earned runner-up finishes at the BLAST Spring and Fall Finals and IEM Cologne and were regular playoff contenders throughout the year.
However, this underwhelming performance in Shanghai and their struggles at the BLAST World Final in Singapore mark a disappointing end to an otherwise stellar season. They raise questions about the future of the lineup.
While roster changes are uncertain, the team’s depth makes them possible. With legendary player s1mple waiting on the bench and showing no signs of heading to the Falcons, this might be the end of Blad3’s squad’s current iteration.
