NAVI CS2: The Road to Becoming the Best Team of 2024

It was the middle of 2023 when Natus Vincere (NAVI) decided to go international. Aleksi "Aleksib" Virolainen joined the team after facing criticism for the results of his previous teams: OG, G2 Esports, and Ninjas in Pyjamas. Four months later, Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyljev, widely considered the best player in the world, left the active roster to take a break. Despite high expectations, NAVI struggled to produce notable results. Things were not looking good for one of the most recognizable organizations in the scene. By the end of the year, they managed to secure a top 4 finish at the BLAST Premier: World Final 2023 but lost to Vitality in a one-sided match.

2024: More of the Same for NAVI

At the start of 2024, it seemed like more of the same for NAVI. They performed well in qualifiers for the Major and BLAST Premier but finished 7th-8th at IEM Katowice 2024. They qualified for the PGL Major Copenhagen through Europe RMR A, which was considered a success at the time. If they had failed, the pressure from fans for a roster change would have been immense. Expectations were low. They started strong, going 2-0 by defeating ENCE and G2 Esports but then lost the next two matches, jeopardizing their playoff chances. On the brink of elimination, they bested paiN with a 2-0 victory.

In the playoffs, NAVI defeated Eternal Fire 2-0 and G2 Esports 2-1 before claiming the trophy against FaZe Clan in the grand finals. At that time, it was somewhat of a Cinderella story. Aleksib finally proved his value as an IGL, and the critics were silenced—but not for long. Two 9th-12th finishes at ESL Pro League Season 19 and IEM Dallas 2024 reignited concerns. Then came the BLAST Premier: Spring Final 2024, where NAVI lost to Team Spirit in the finals. Little did anyone know this would be the start of the NAVI era.

The NAVI era

Starting with the BLAST Premier: Spring Final 2024, NAVI reached six consecutive finals. Despite placing 5th-6th at the BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2024 (essentially a qualifying event for the BLAST Premier: Fall Final 2024), they placed second in the Fall Final itself. NAVI won three out of the six finals they played: Esports World Cup 2024, ESL Pro League Season 20, and IEM Rio 2024.

NAVI became the undisputed best CS2 team of 2024. The team is performing at such a high level that even s1mple couldn’t return to the roster if he wanted to. Coach Andrij “B1ad3” Ghorodensjkyj has been a key figure throughout NAVI’s history, and once again, he has managed to create a major-winning, top-tier team. Unlike other great teams, NAVI doesn't rely on a single star player to carry them; any member of the squad can pop off at any time. They play as a cohesive unit, and if you look at the stats, four out of five players have averaged around a 1.18 rating over the past three months. Mihai 'iM' Ivan won the MVP at the IEM Rio, Justinas 'jL' Lekavicius was the best individual player at ESL Pro League S20, and Valeriy 'b1t' Vakhovskiy won the MVP award at the Esports World Cup 2024. Three different events, three different MVPs.

Aleksib, once the most questioned IGL, is now considered one of the best-performing IGLs in the scene. They brought $1.607.500 to their organization just this year. There's still CS2 to be played before the year ends, and it looks like NAVI will only further solidify their position.