The team that arrived at the Shanghai Major as the clear title favorites was the reigning CS2 major champions Natus Vincere (Na’Vi). But their run was cut short in the second round with a stunning 1-2 loss to HEROIC, which eliminated the black-and-yellow team and ensured that there will be a new champion next weekend.
This early exit is a bitter blow for Na’Vi in an Elimination Stage filled with losses to Spirit and MIBR, and casts doubt over the future of this once-dominant roster.
Big Favourites Bury Themselves
Na’Vi began the Elimination Stage well, barely defeating Team Liquid that had been unbeaten in the Opening Stage. Although the win was not emphatic, it confirmed Na’Vi as the community’s choice for a deep run in the playoffs. There was much confidence in the reigning champions—most people expected them to make it to the playoffs without much fuss.
The narrative was changed abruptly on Inferno during their next best-of-one. The Brazilians MIBR stunned their opponents with an incredible T-side performance and went into the break with a 9-3 lead. Despite captain Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen’s attempt to motivate his struggling teammates, Na’Vi was defeated by a 24-kill performance from Felipe “insani” Yuji.
The stumble left the field wide open and things only got worse for Na’Vi. In their next match, donk and Spirit dominated them on Mirage and won the round 13-2. Na’Vi briefly stabilized their performance with a victory over GamerLegion, which put them against HEROIC for the playoff spot.
However, the light at the end of the tunnel was quickly snuffed out by HEROIC as they eliminated any hope for Na’Vi. The elimination series started with a Mirage 13-3 victory for HEROIC and continued with Ancient, where NertZ put up a 23-kill, 1.58 rating to bury Na’Vi’s title hopes.
A Rough Exit to a Great 2024 Campaign
However, Na’Vi’s 2024 season is still one of the most successful seasons in the history of CS2 despite their problems in Shanghai. They said that they won four big championships, namely the Copenhagen Major, ESL Pro League, IEM Rio, and the Esports World Cup. They were consistent throughout the year, finishing second at BLAST Spring and Fall Finals and IEM Cologne.
However, their poor performances in the BLAST World Final in Singapore and the Shanghai Major indicate a weakness in high-stake situations. These late-season failures are a blot on an otherwise impressive season, and fans and analysts are now wondering what the team will do next.
What’s Next for Na’Vi?
There might be some changes in the roster for the European powerhouse. With legendary player s1mple waiting in the wings—and rumors suggesting he won’t be heading to Falcons—this could mark the end of the current iteration of Andrij “Blad3” Ghorodensjkyj’s squad. Managing the change of the lineup while keeping the core of their success will be important as Na’Vi aims to come back stronger in 2025.
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