Aleksib: NAVI must be twice as good, stay grinding

Natus Vincere were eliminated from the Esports World Cup after a 0-2 quarterfinal defeat to Legacy. The Brazilians controlled the series early, and NAVI fell behind 10-2 on both Inferno and Ancient.

Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen described the team’s slow starts as decisive and called the scoreline “almost impossible to win a game in this fashion against opponents like this.” He attributed the loss to stronger play from Legacy and said NAVI were not at the level needed to contend for trophies at the event.

On Inferno, NAVI missed several opening opportunities and failed to stop quick A executes from Legacy. Aleksib pointed to rounds where NAVI stacked three players on B but still lost the pistol and early fights, and to a 5-on-2 the team could not convert. NAVI improved on the Terrorist side later, but the early deficit proved too large to overcome.

On Ancient, Legacy’s n1ssim produced key individual performances that NAVI could not trade in important gun rounds. Aleksib also highlighted two rounds from Legacy’s w0nderful-a pistol ace and a 1v3-that prevented Inferno from becoming even more one-sided.

The result reversed the teams’ previous meeting at the Major, where NAVI defeated Legacy 2-0. Aleksib said it was unclear immediately whether the difference came from a superior game plan or better execution by Legacy and that he would review the match demos to draw firmer conclusions.

Aleksib noted the squad had practiced on non-official days during the tournament and that the quarterfinal match was only their third official game at the event. With BLAST Open Porto less than a week away, he framed the next event as an immediate chance to reset. “There’s nothing else to it,” he said.

Looking ahead, Aleksib set a simple target for the next stop: “Not go out in the quarterfinals, and reach the playoffs.” He called for the lineup to be “twice as good, twice as prepared, not lose hope and keep grinding.”