NAVI push past G2 to reach Major playoffs

The PGL Copenhagen Major champions return to Major playoffs after missing out in Shanghai.

Natus Vincere are the fifth team bound for the playoffs of the BLAST.tv Austin Major, taking down G2 2-1 in their qualifying match to secure their place among the top eight.

Aleksi "⁠Aleksib⁠" Virolainen's men had the luxury of kicking off their Major campaign in Stage 3, and the international side immediately capitalized, taking down Nemiga and 3DMAX in their day one best-of-ones. A tough loss to Spirit kept Natus Vincere from a flawless record, but the team recovered in their 2-1 pool match against G2 to reach playoffs.

Date	Matches
BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025
12/06/2025	Natus Vincere Finished 13:7 Nemiga	Match
12/06/2025	3DMAX Finished 14:16 Natus Vincere	Match
13/06/2025	Spirit Finished 2:0 Natus Vincere	Match
14/06/2025	Natus Vincere Finished 2:1 G2	Match

While Natus Vincere have largely been securing playoff appearances in 2025, the team have failed to reach the same heights they achieved in 2024 with their four event wins, including at PGL Major Copenhagen.

Natus Vincere will have their sights on a deep run in playoffs, looking to get out from under the shadows of the likes of Vitality and Spirit while ending the first half of 2025 on a high note.

Natus Vincere's qualifying victory over G2 was far from straightforward; Aleksib's troops sparred back and forth with G2 on Mirage, narrowly laying claim to a 7-5 lead on their CT-side thanks to the individual efforts of Justinas "⁠jL⁠" Lekavicius and Mihai "⁠iM⁠" Ivan.

Natus Vincere extended their lead with a pistol round win, but nearly let G2 claw back into Mirage, before closing down their map pick 13-10.

After a mixed start to the series for G2's star rifler Mario "⁠malbsMd⁠" Samayoa, the young Guatemalan bounced back on his team's pick of Anubis, getting his team on the board with a 1v2 and keeping them competitive throughout the first half, finishing with a 5-7 deficit.

A pistol quad-kill from iM pushed Natus Vincere further into the lead on the defense, but Aleksib's men would not find much more success on the CT-side, as G2 strung together eight rounds in a row off the back of malbsMd's efforts to lock down Anubis 13-9.

The first half of Inferno was a back-and-forth brawl; neither side was able to take an extensive lead, with Natus Vincere barely eclipsing G2 at the side swap with a 7-5 half after winning the final three rounds on their T-side.

Natus Vincere's lead began to slip from their grasp on the CT-side, as G2 wrested control of the scoreline off the back of a pistol round win. Individual heroics from the likes of iM allowed Natus Vincere to reign in G2's T-side run, but Janusz "⁠Snax⁠" Pogorzelski's troops still managed to drag the map into overtime.

G2 had the opportunity to close out in the first set of extra rounds off the back of a collateral double kill from Olek "⁠hades⁠" Miskiewicz, but Natus Vincere recovered to force a second overtime. This time around Natus Vincere got the better of G2, finally locking down Inferno 19-16 after winning out a 3v5 situation.