Endpoint upset NAVI to claim their first victory at ESL Pro League S16

Endpoint secured their first victory at ESL Pro League Season 16, overcoming Ukrainian CS:GO powerhouses NAVI in the biggest upset of the event so far. The top-ranked team in the world didn’t see that coming.

In one of the most surprising outcomes of the Pro League S16, the British and European mix lineup of Endpoint overcame the experienced lineup of NAVI. After losing their first two games to Team Vitality and Team Spirit, Endpoint eventually earned their first win at the competition while dealing the Ukrainian team their first loss.

Endpoint vs NAVI- Match Summary

Endpoint got out to a hot start on Ancient, taking the pistol round and maintaining the advantage over the first few rounds. The team jumped out to a 5-0 lead but were unable to hold it off as NAVI started to take control of the map. The scoreline was close up to halftime, with the Endpoint leading 8:7.

After the teams switched sides, Endpoint went totally ruthless and seized possession of the entire map. In the second half, the European team resisted NAVI’s every bid to make a comeback attempt, keeping them at bay throughout the half. Without losing a single round, Endpoint was able to finish the map 16:7 thanks to a meticulously planned offensive strategy and an incredible ace from Kia “Surreal” Man in the last round. Surreal delivered outstanding performances for the team, earning a 1.51 HLTV rating to give his side an early advantage.

As the second game began, NAVI fired out of the gate, securing an early advantage at Dust2. Despite having the lead, the squad was unable to take complete control of the map as Guy “Nertz” Iluz’s exceptional fragging abilities relentlessly tormented their defenses. With Nertz and Joey “CRUC1AL” Steusel, on board, Endpoint whipped the map in their favor, securing a massive 10-5 lead before halftime.

The team managed to maintain its dominance in the second half as well, growing its advantage to 15-6 while only losing one round. Despite the substantial disadvantage, Natus Vincere was able to quickly narrow the gap to 15-10 by taking four straight rounds. Their valiant efforts ultimately fell short, though, as Endpoint rebounded and dealt the decisive blow to end the series 16-10.

Nertz, Endpoint’s lethal rifler, performed exceptionally well against the world’s top-ranked team, posting a deadly 1.54 rating across both maps. The 22-year-old Dutch AWper CRUC1AL didn’t fare any less effort, posting an average rating of 1.33 throughout the series, well above his 0.88 rating against Spirt in their last match. Endpoint’s next game pits them against Ninjas in Pyjamas, the only team in the group still without a win. NIP were the favorite going into the competition, but after their 0-3 record and Endpoint’s remarkable victory over NAVI, the odds have shifted.

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