As NAVI prepare for their high-stakes quarterfinal against Vitality at BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, team captain Aleksi "AleksiB" Virolainen reflects on the team’s turbulent path through Stage 2. In an open and thoughtful interview for NAVI CS2 YouTube, he talks about the emotional aftermath of the loss to Spirit, the dramatic match against G2, the team’s internal dynamics during a crucial mini bootcamp, and the challenge that awaits.

NAVI began their campaign with a 2-0 record, and despite the pressure of the format, that start brought more calm than tension.

After finishing the first day, I would say I felt really comfortable because you know you have three chances no matter what. Even if you lose the first two, you still get to play three games. Knowing how hard we worked on the boot camp, I knew we were capable of winning one after losing the first. You get this idea in your head like, “Okay, now we lost the first. If we lose the second, are we going to crumble?” But at the same time, it brings confidence. What I mentioned about how we treated practice and how we worked hard — after losing the first game against Spirit, we still thought no matter who we face now, we’re going to be stronger, and we just need to show resilience.

 

Their first real test came against Team Spirit, and although NAVI had prepared for Anubis, a few lost duels changed everything.

For us, Anubis was a map we worked on. When they picked it, we felt comfortable — if we do what we practiced well, we had a good shot. We had moments where we played well as a unit but couldn’t win a post-plant or a favorable situation. There was a moment when we hit B site with Donk on triple and Magixx on Speedway — both me and me had a one-on-one. I had a very favorable one-on-one, but we ended up losing our duels. If you don’t win duels and lose clutches, you're bound to lose against a team like Spirit. On our pick, Train, they completely dominated us. It didn’t even feel like we were there. We’ve already gone through the map and our mistakes — always trying to improve.

 

Even with that preparation, NAVI couldn’t adapt during the match — and AleksiB was open about what went wrong.

We understood Anubis on a level where, if we had switched a couple of small details, I think we would have played overtime or taken it. But the way they played Train versus how we played was night and day. I’m not going to make excuses. We had a good game plan, but we couldn’t follow it. We forgot crucial details on three gun rounds in a row. You’re going to lose 13-1 like we did. We spoke about it — we know we cannot show this level moving forward, especially in the playoffs. We can’t afford it

 

Despite the loss, the team didn’t collapse. There was disappointment, but also clarity on what to fix.

Maybe it was 13-3, but it felt like 13-1. The feeling in the team was down — we knew we got crushed. We didn’t stand a chance on the second map. We felt comfortable going in — they won their map pick 13-11, it was close, and we thought now we’ll fight even more. But that didn’t happen. Afterward, we knew we had two more chances. We didn’t bash ourselves too hard but had an important talk — the way we played was not acceptable. Then we prepared for the next team, knowing we still had what it takes to make playoffs. One game at a time.

 

The matchup against G2 was emotionally charged, but for AleksiB, the current roster didn’t feel like “his” former team.

I do think so, but for me personally, once the lineup changes and the core isn’t even there, I can’t treat it the same way. I might see an individual or two who I played with or someone in the management, but it doesn’t feel like I’m looking at a team I used to play for. It’s a completely new team. Still, the name, the banner — that gives you something extra usually. But when the core is gone, it’s not the same feeling.

 

The match itself was chaotic, intense, and full of momentum shifts — but NAVI held on when it mattered most.

The game against G2 was very interesting. Again, we struggled on Anubis. We had many good rounds, but on the T side, we struggled on some trades in middle, lost some crucial rounds, and ended up saving on Anubis T side. That’s how you lose the map. On CT, we won pistol and anti-eco, but they flew off after that. We couldn’t win a single gun round. I thought we’d progressed since the last Anubis, but they played better. On Mirage, we played well — the individuals showed up. I think iM dropped 30 bombs, which was nice. The decider was back and forth — we won T side 7-5 if I remember correctly. At 12-11, Snacks made two really good calls, especially the one that forced overtime. It could’ve gone either way, but we clutched in crunch time and closed it out. That was super important to avoid going 2-2.

 

Between matches, the team chemistry was being actively worked on. Arguments happened — but productively.

It's definitely something we’re working on. We tried to take a shorter day, and now we’re back to full practice. We have plenty of days left, as we play the quarterfinal on Friday. There’s no tension, but we’ve had a couple arguments here and there. To me, that’s good — it’s how you thrive and evolve as a team. We also had fun moments in the practice room. It feels like we want to level up for playoffs, and we need to if we want to beat Vitality.

 

The team ran a mini bootcamp, and the tighter environment helped rebuild a sense of unity.

I do think it feels like a mini boot camp. We’re in a small practice room with five PCs, a coach PC, analyst, maybe psychologist, and our camera guy. A lot of people in one small room, for many hours. But it has a vibe — it feels like a small family. Everyone's on the same page. We're definitely working hard — it’s the season finale and a very important playoff match for us.

 

For AleksiB, the most valuable thing wasn’t a tactical change — but acceptance of their difficult season.

Maybe the fact that we accepted as a team that we’ve been struggling this season. It’s not like our last one where we were contending for and winning trophies. We hadn’t had a proper boot camp in a while. This two-week one gave us confidence — seeing each other daily, not just in hotel rooms during tournaments. It brought comfort and reminded us of our past routine. It also felt like our last shot to be at the level we want. This is the last and most important tournament of the season. The boot camp came at the right time, and that’s why I think we’re in playoffs now.

 

When asked to name a breakout star of the Major, AleksiB picked FURIA’s rising AWPer — and also praised s1mple’s return.

There are many names, but my standout would be Molodoi, the AWPer for FURIA. With FURIA taking him and YEKINDAR, they played a high-quality Stage 3 and made playoffs. He played amazingly, and I’m excited to see how he performs on stage. I'd also mention s1mple. It’s nice to see his energy and excitement again. He seems to really enjoy his team. As for the team I liked the most— Lynn Vision. Their energy, especially from EmiliaQAQ, was great. He always hugs me and hypes up the vibe — just super positive.

 

On the topic of trash talk, NAVI choose silence over theatrics — and it's part of their identity.

Honestly, if I played in a full Finnish lineup, it might be different. It’s easier to throw out funny banter in your native tongue. But in NAVI, we feel more like a gentleman’s team. If opponents trash talk us with bad words, we might take it personally, but mostly it’s just banter. Our individuals aren’t like that, except maybe JL with his facial expressions. He doesn’t say anything, just makes a face. Blade probably wouldn’t approve either, but he doesn’t care much as long as we perform in-game and communicate properly.

 

First impressions of the stage? One word came to mind — loud.

It’s hard to put into words. I think the walkout will be great — simple, clean. The arena itself is huge, not massive, but crowded, so the sound will be crazy.

 

Vitality await NAVI in the quarterfinal. For AleksiB, that’s how it should be.

It would’ve been great to play them in the second match or in the final, but the script says we face them first. It’s nice to feel the stage and build up each round, but Vitality is the undisputed number one. Even after losing to Legacy, they bounced back easily. After we lost to Spirit, we knew that to enjoy this trophy run, we’d need to beat Spirit or Vitality. Otherwise, we’d feel we had a lucky bracket. Blade said he’d be happy if we even had one chance in ten against them. We practiced against them, studied their games, and we’re excited. – I believe you don’t deserve the trophy if you don’t beat them in playoffs. That’s just how I see it. Since January, no other team has looked better.

 

As the playoffs begin, AleksiB sent a message to all fans who have followed NAVI’s difficult year.

We know we’ve struggled this season, but we gave it our all these last three weeks. We had a long boot camp, we traveled, and we’re using every day for practice. Now we’re excited for the quarterfinals against Vitality — it’ll be tough, and we need your energy. I hope Finnish fans watch, even though it’s Midsummer. It’ll be evening, so I hope they’re cheering. And I hope my boy Jimmy is ready in his NAVI shirt — cheer for us!

 

On June 20 at 20:00 CEST, NAVI will play against Vitality in the quarterfinals of Blast.tv Austin Major 2025. The winner will advance to the semifinals, where they will play the winner of the MOUZ/Vitality pairing. You can follow the progress and live streaming of the match at the link.