NAVI Secures Sixth Spot in BLAST Fall Final

Natus Vincere (NAVI) clinched the final available spot for the BLAST Premier Fall Final after a hard-fought victory against Complexity in the Play-in stage, wrapping up a challenging run through the BLAST Groups.

NAVI’s Path to the Fall Final

Despite a tumultuous Journey, the world’s top team, NAVI, managed to secure their place in the BLAST Premier Fall Final. Led by Aleksi “⁠Aleksib⁠” Virolainen, NAVI overcame Complexity with a decisive 2-0 win in their last match of the Play-in stage. This win followed a series of difficult matches in the Fall Groups, where NAVI faced setbacks, including two losses to Liquid.

In their crucial match against Complexity, NAVI showcased resilience. Complexity initially dominated on Anubis, leading 6-1 on the CT side. However, NAVI made a dramatic comeback, thanks to pivotal plays from Justinas “⁠jL⁠” Lekavicius, who shined with a MAC-10, and Aleksib’s crucial entries against Jonathan “⁠EliGE⁠” Jablonowski. The first map saw NAVI capitalize on a low-buy win by Ihor “⁠w0nderful⁠” Zhdanov’s Deagle and Valeriy “⁠b1t⁠” Vakhovskiy’s clutch 1v2. NAVI’s 3v4 retake of the A bombsite in the final rounds secured their victory on Anubis.

NAVI Dominates on Nuke

On Nuke, NAVI maintained control from the outset. Complexity, unable to replicate their previous day’s performance, struggled defensively, allowing NAVI to build a 9-3 lead in the offensive half. A standout play by b1t, who navigated through smoke in round 15, sealed the map and the series for NAVI.

NAVI’s Reflection and Future

Following the match, jL shared insights with James “⁠BanKs⁠” Banks about NAVI’s group stage performance. He acknowledged the challenges but viewed the exposure as beneficial for their preparation for IEM Cologne next week. “It’s good that we got exposed here so that we can focus on Cologne,” jL commented. He humorously referred to B1ad3’s strategy of extensive practice through the group stage, highlighting the importance of addressing their mistakes before the next major event.

Teams Advancing to BLAST Fall Final

The BLAST Premier Fall Final will feature six teams:

• Spirit (Russia)
• Vitality (Europe)
• G2 (Europe)
• Liquid (Other)
• Astralis (Denmark)
• Natus Vincere (Europe)

Additionally, two more teams will qualify through the 16-team Fall Showdown, scheduled online from August 21-25.