Aleksib proves doubters wrong as he steers NAVI to CS2 Major glory

He's done it.

Aleksib celebrating winning a match at the PGL Copenhagen CS2 Major.
Photo by Stephanie Lindgren via PGL

Akeksib led Natus Vincere to victory at PGL Copenhagen, winning the organization’s second Counter-Strike Major.

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CS2 fans doubted NAVI’s in-game going into the tournament, but in arguably the most important match of his career, the Finnish captain delivered. NAVI beat FaZe Clan 2-1 thanks to wins on Ancient and Inferno.

FaZe went toe-to-toe with NAVI on Ancient, and it looked like it could go anyone’s way. But NAVI gained momentum after pulling off clutch rounds, leading to a 13-9 win. FaZe responded on Mirage, quickly drawing the series back to 1-1 with a 13-2 stomp before NAVI pulled off the reverse on Inferno. FaZe only managed to secure three rounds in the final game.

This was Aleksib’s second Major final. He first had the chance to secure a trophy at IEM Katowice 2019 with ENCE, but he was unable to lead his Finnish teammates to victory against Astralis.

jL celebrating winning a match at the PGL Copenhagen CS2 Major.
JL was unbeatable in the playoffs. Photo by Joao Ferreira via PGL

NAVI had numerous standout performances throughout the PGL Copenhagen Major, but jL’s form in playoffs was outstanding. In the final, he and b1t topped the scoreboard with 46-29 and 51-34 KD ratios, respectively. NAVI’s sniper, w0nderful, was also on top of his game.

Unfortunately for FaZe, it’s another heartbreak on Inferno. The final was the first since ELEAGUE Boston CS:GO Major in 2018 to feature a full best-of-three series in the grand final. Back then, FaZe blew a 15-11 lead against Cloud9, eventually losing the third map, Inferno, and the series overall.

Author
Image of Mateusz Miter
Mateusz Miter
Freelance Writer at Dot Esports. Mateusz previously worked for numerous outlets and gaming-adjacent companies, including ESL. League of Legends or CS:GO? He loves them both. In fact, he wonders which game he loves more every day. He wanted to go pro years ago, but somewhere along the way decided journalism was the more sensible option—and he was right.