Aleksi "Aleksib" Virolainen, captain of Natus Vincere's CS2 roster, insisted that his team’s semifinal loss to FaZe Clan at the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 was not caused by inadequate preparation. He made the comments during an interview with HLTV.org, noting that the team had done everything they could ahead of the match.
"Did you feel your preparation for this match was lacking?" Aleksib was asked. "No, I think we did everything we could. The preparation was solid. We still played an evening match, so you can't say we had too little time or anything like that. Today they were simply stronger, and that's why we lost," he replied.
Aleksib went on to describe his feelings about how the team performed over the course of the Major. He said he felt sad because, in his view, NAVI had put together an excellent tournament overall and showed strong form throughout the event.
He highlighted the team's chemistry as a major positive: the roster had been enjoying each other's company, laughing every day, and had been together for roughly a month by the time of the Major. "We had great chemistry — the best in a long time — and I didn't want it to end like this," Aleksib said, stressing that the squad felt it had the tools to win the event.
Despite NAVI's confidence in their preparation and teamwork, Aleksib paid respect to FaZe Clan, acknowledging their pedigree on the biggest stages. He pointed out that FaZe will be back in a Major final and that there is something special about that organization and its lineup.
Natus Vincere's run at the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 ended with a 1–2 loss to FaZe in the semifinal. The team finished tied for third place (3–4) and earned $80,000 in prize money for their performance.