Wait, this is the NAVI Era in CS2? Always has been

On September 22, after becoming the champion of ESL Pro League Season 20 in CS2, Natus Vincere claimed their third trophy of 2024. The team entered the race for the Intel Grand Slam and firmly established themselves at the top of the professional scene. Does this latest victory in a major event mean that the NAVI Era has begun in CS2?

We want to emphasize that NAVI’s success is not just due to the efforts of one or two players; it’s the result of the hard work of the entire staff. The perfect synergy among the five players wouldn’t be possible without the manager, coach, analyst, and psychologist. In this article, we’ll explore all aspects of NAVI's success and answer the question: "Has the NAVI Era in CS2 begun?"

NAVI’s Success in 2024

Throughout 2024, NAVI was dogged by the community’s opinion that their victory at the Major in Copenhagen was a fluke. However, step by step, they proved otherwise. Currently, every player on the team boasts excellent statistics, except for captain Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen — but he gets a pass. The last time such performance was seen was from FaZe Clan at the start of the CS2 era.

At the time of writing, the team has already claimed three trophies — PGL Major Copenhagen 2024, Esports World Cup 2024, and ESL Pro League Season 20 — while also reaching the finals of two tournaments: BLAST Premier: Spring Final 2024 and IEM Cologne 2024. In total, the team has earned $1,422,500 in 2024. No other club can boast such results.

NAVI’s Results in 2024:

Perfect Player Synergy

One of the main keys to the current NAVI roster’s success has been the relationships between the players. From the very beginning, it was clear that they had quickly built strong bonds. This is evidenced by the frequent social media posts showing them spending time together. Understanding and friendly relationships are the foundation of success in any team sport. This synergy didn’t appear by itself — it’s the result of the work of the coach and performance coach, but we’ll discuss them later.

B1ad3 Phenomenon

Andrij “B1ad3” Ghorodensjkyj is one of the greatest coaches in Counter-Strike history, a fact undisputed and acknowledged by the entire community. Moreover, he continues to prove it in practice. When NAVI faced difficulties, B1ad3 took responsibility, completely rebuilt the team, and transitioned them to English. His gamble paid off.

Initially, things didn’t go too well, but 2024 changed everything. Early in the year, B1ad3 mentioned that the team was only at 30-40% of its potential and would peak by summer. After reaching their peak, NAVI, under his leadership, won the Major. A slight slump followed, but after that, summer arrived... Just as Andrij predicted, every player hit optimal form, and NAVI has now finished in either first or second place in four consecutive tournaments. At first, it seemed like luck, but now it’s clear — it’s a pattern.

Here’s what analysts Janko “YNk” Paunović, Chad “SPUNJ” Burchill, and Jason “moses” O'Toole said about B1ad3 on the Talking Counter podcast:

B1ad3 is a perfect fit for NAVI because he brought in a bunch of tier-2 players who hadn’t really played in tier-1 tournaments before. He had to build the game plan, teach them to play at the necessary level, and shape them. What he’s done with NAVI — it’s insane! He’s become more involved, right? But I think that’s why B1ad3 commands so much respect as a coach because his experience gives him a better perspective. He has a huge influence.

 

Performance Coach

Almost immediately after signing the new roster, the team brought in performance coach Urszula “Xirreth” Klimczak. This was probably one of the club’s most important acquisitions in recent years. Before her arrival, captain Aleksib noted that NAVI needed a performance coach because players often lost due to their own mistakes and were prone to burnout.

Judging by the team’s improved results since her arrival, it’s clear she’s doing her job well. Together with Xirreth, NAVI created the ideal conditions for Ihor “w0nderful” Zhdanov to integrate into the team, making the adaptation process nearly seamless. Thanks to Urszula, the team found methods to help players shift into a winning mindset even during games.

We’re also confident that Ivan “iM” Mihai, who overcame a period of stagnation and constant hate, owes his recovery entirely to her. She likely worked closely with him, which ultimately helped. Now, iM plays consistently at a high level in every match.

CS2 journalist and tournament host James “BanKs” Banks also commented on iM’s current form:

iM needs to be given his respect now, he’s done everything as the team needed. The community wanted him cut immediately because he didn’t perform the same way he did in GL but now he’s stepping up, looking more comfortable and confident and never let any of this stuff hurt his mental and made it very clear in all interviews he gave 👏🏼👏🏼!

 

NAVI 2024 vs NAVI 2021

We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to compare NAVI 2024 with NAVI 2021. Maybe this comparison isn’t entirely fair since it’s a different version of the game and the level of competition on the pro scene is much higher now. However, everyone loves numbers, so let’s compare the success of NAVI 2024 with the 2021 roster from January to September. Which roster is better is up to you to decide.

Has the NAVI Era Begun?

After NAVI’s victory at EPL, more and more people are asking if the NAVI Era in CS2 has begun. Honestly, we can say that the NAVI Era began at the start of 2024. Why? It’s simple. Their approach to training and building team relationships is a model of professionalism destined for success. That’s why they won the first Major in CS2 history and gradually peaked in form. Right now, NAVI is the best team in the world and the main favorite to win the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024.