FURIA arrived at the MVM Dome exuding confidence, but it was Natus Vincere who left the favourites stunned, eliminating the world number one in a dramatic playoff upset in Budapest. The result was the second major surprise of a chaotic Friday at the Major, following FaZe’s earlier win over MOUZ, and it also served as a measure of revenge for NAVI after their painful collapse in the Thunderpick World Championship grand final earlier in the year.
The series opened with NAVI imposing themselves on Mirage. Ihor “w0nderful” Zhdanov set the tone immediately with an explosive opening round and continued his excellent group-stage form into the quarterfinal, finishing map one with a 1.52 rating. Danil “molodoy” Golubenko, FURIA’s young AWPer, was repeatedly denied space as NAVI’s coordinated A executes and layered pop strategies suffocated the Brazilian side; Mirage closed out 13-5 in NAVI’s favour.
Inferno swung the momentum back to FURIA in a rollercoaster map. Early failures on NAVI’s A hits and a key anti-force left FURIA room to breathe and, despite several heroic moments from Natus Vincere’s opposition, Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo produced crucial clutches that kept FURIA alive. FalleN’s late heroics — including a decisive three-kill retake and other multi-kill moments that broke NAVI’s momentum — helped FURIA scrape past 16-13 and force a decider.
The final map, Train, proved to be NAVI’s statement. After a nervy finish on Inferno, Natus Vincere regrouped and stormed out of the pistol and early rounds, highlighted by an Aleksib triple-kill in the opening sequence that swung momentum firmly their way. NAVI’s first-half game plans were clinical; they built a commanding 9-1 lead on the Terrorist side and never looked back, sealing a convincing 13-3 decider and a 2-1 series victory.
Tactically, the win was a triumph for coach Andrey “B1ad3” Gorodenskiy and in-game leader Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen. NAVI’s preparation neutralised FURIA’s preferred approaches, forcing the Brazilians to play slower and react to NAVI’s map control. Drin “makazze” Shaqiri, NAVI’s young space-taker, was rewarded for his consistent aggression with a huge Train performance, finishing that map with one of the highest ratings of the series.
Individual contributions were decisive. w0nderful’s group-stage momentum continued in Budapest: beyond his map-one rating, he also posted an outstanding early-round K-D on the decider that helped NAVI seize control. makazze’s relentless banana and space play kept FURIA on the back foot, while Mihai “iM” Ivan’s steady performances and clutch attempts complemented Aleksib’s leadership.
FalleN’s impact for FURIA was notable — he produced multiple clutch moments on Inferno and repeatedly kept his team within striking distance, including a turning 1v3 that swung the match into overtime. Yet those heroics were not enough to overcome NAVI’s collective preparation and the ferocious start on Train.
For FURIA the loss was a shock given their stellar season form and their reputation for winning tight matches. The team can point to accumulated downtime since their dominant group-stage run and to several lost pistol rounds that contributed to the collapse, but the plain fact is a unit known for resilience faltered under the Major pressure.
Molodoy’s breakthrough rookie year has been impressive overall, but this match marked a rare failure on the big stage. He posted one of the weaker ratings of the series and finished with a subdued average damage per round, underlining that even the most promising young stars can have difficult moments in Major playoff intensity. By contrast, makazze’s 2.23 rating on Train underlined NAVI’s successful investment in aggressive, reliable rookies.
The win also revived memories of NAVI’s previous Major success in Copenhagen: the same outsider spirit and preparation paid off again in Budapest. Justinas “jL” Lekavicius was present in the stands as a reminder of NAVI’s recent high points, and the team’s combination of meticulous game plans from B1ad3 and steady leadership from Aleksib showed what this side can achieve when fully dialled in.
After the match, NAVI players emphasised the importance of regrouping and treating the decider as a clean slate. As iM explained on stage, the team moved on from mistakes and focused on Train as if nothing from the previous map mattered — a level-headed approach that ultimately delivered.
With this result Natus Vincere blow the Major wide open and set up a high-profile quarterfinal clash against FaZe, the same FaZe that earlier in the day had knocked out MOUZ. NAVI’s path now includes another giant test, but their tactical confidence and recent performances suggest they will not be taken lightly.