NaVi fail for second consecutive tournament

The second semester of the 2023 CS:GO season has started in the worst possible way for this new NaVi lineup, as they have failed for the second consecutive tournament.

There is no doubt that the expectations of everyone in the Counter-Strike community were very high, as the incorporation of new players into the team awakened impressive hype. However, after two tournaments, it seems the team still lacks the synergy necessary to compete at the highest possible level.

Likewise, it is fair to point out that it is no secret that coming to an organization as important as NaVi can be an extra level of pressure for some players. In addition, there is also the fact that they have very little time playing together, and playing alongside the GOAT of CS:GO, Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev, is not easy either.

NaVi missed playoffs in Cologne for the first time in over nine years

Throughout the history of CS:GO, NaVi has always been present in the playoffs at IEM Cologne and is even one of the favorites to lift the championship trophy. However, in this 2023 edition, the team failed to pass the Group Stage for the first time in nine years.

To all this, s1mple shared a post on Twitter where he apologizes to all his fans and mentions that the team is not ready to fight in the arena “for now.”

Sry all fans but we are not ready for arena yet
Ggwp @AstralisCS gl in playoffs
Thank you everyone for support #navination

— Sasha (@s1mpleO) August 1, 2023

While it is true that NaVi managed to qualify for the Fall Finals in the BLAST Premier Fall Groups played several weeks ago, there is no doubt that their 4th-6th place finish in the tournament was disappointing. In this IEM Cologne 2023, everything indicated that the team could live up to the competition and at least qualify for the playoffs.

However, it was noticeable that the absence of Denis “electroNic” Sharipov and Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy in their lineup took its toll on the team. In the history of this tournament, NaVi has always been at the top. Moreover, from the lineup led by Danylo “Zeus” Teslenko in 2014 until last season, NaVi was always among the favorites.

But, in this 2023 edition, they will not be able to continue their legacy, as, after losses to MOUZ and Astralis, they will have to watch the playoffs from their home community.

NaVi had a lot of problems at IEM Cologne 2023

NaVi’s start in the IEM Cologne Group Stage was plagued with problems, as they lost 0-2 to MOUZ on the first day. As a result, the new international squad led by Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen had to fight in every do-or-die match in the Lower Bracket of Group B. Then, the squad had two very good wins against OG and FaZe Clan, indicating that the team was finally in tune. However, they were unable to face Astralis in the Lower Bracket Final.

Likewise, it is worth noting that NaVi fought to the end in the match against Astralis, as it took three Overtime for the Danes to win the series 2-1.

Buzz destroys NaVi

An unexpected hero emerged in this series, as Astralis’ star rookie Christian “Buzz” Andersen scored 31 kills and, most impressively, a 2.02 Rating to lead Astralis to the IEM Cologne 2023 playoffs.

As a result, Astralis takes sweet revenge on the team that eliminated them in the semifinals of IEM Cologne 2022. The Danish squad will have to face Heroic in the tournament’s Quarterfinals.

On the other hand, it is also worth mentioning that s1mple is uncomfortable with the team, as his impact has not been what he is used to. However, the spotlight is clearly on Mihai “iM” Ivan, one of the new additions to the team, who has failed to show the level of play he had with GamerLegion in the first half of the season.

NaVi will have to prepare very hard if they want to return to the top of CS:GO, and their next challenge will be at the Gamers8 2023 festival, which will kick off on August 16, 2023.

Header: ESL