NAVI once again missed out on the playoffs after losing to PARIVISION at ESL Pro League Season 24, but Aleksib believes the team’s main problem right now is not only individual mistakes. The captain speaks about the accumulated effect of setbacks, which causes players to overthink during matches instead of enjoying the game.
NAVI lost a match they could have closed
On the deciding map, NAVI had a poor start on the CT side and gave away several close rounds, but still had a chance to turn the game around. After w0nderful’s clutch, the team went ahead 11:10, and then got a 5v3 situation with two opening frags on mid — but even that was not enough to bring the match to victory.
It feels bad, because at this tournament we showed a different NAVI. Yes, we did not beat top-5 teams, but I think we should have made the playoffs. Another team ended up there instead of us, so it does not feel great.
For Aleksib, what remains especially painful is that NAVI have once again stopped literally one step away from the result they needed. The team is capable of winning the opponent’s pick or playing its own map well, but deciding maps regularly become a problem.
NAVI’s problem shows up on deciding maps
The captain does not see one simple solution that will instantly change the results. According to him, the team fights in almost every series, but on decider maps, they often lack the stability needed to finish the job.
We just somehow have to play better on deciding maps. A few times we lost control of the game ourselves, so we need to become better. There is no magic here.
NAVI still have tournaments ahead where the situation can be fixed. Aleksib emphasized that the team understands the importance of the next appearances and must work even harder, because the path to the Major and the long-awaited deep playoff run still depends primarily on them.
Mirage has stopped being a reliable map for NAVI
Mirage has become a separate problem, where NAVI have now lost five matches in a row. Aleksib suggests that the team may have paid less attention to the map because of its historically strong status, but he also links the decline to the overall confidence level of the players.
Sometimes we start on CT and just get completely destroyed. Sometimes we start on T, and it feels like we have never played this map at all, even though historically the T side was one of our main strengths.
Now NAVI need to reanalyze their game on Mirage and understand the reasons for such a sharp decline. For a team that for a long time could rely on this map, five losses in a row no longer look like a coincidence, but a trend that must be fixed before the next tournaments.
Aleksib does not yet feel pressure because of the Major
Despite the unstable results, NAVI’s situation in the race for PGL Major Singapore 2026 remains fairly comfortable — their qualification chances are estimated at around 90%. Aleksib insists that right now this topic does not create additional psychological pressure inside the team.
Personally, I do not feel pressure. I think everyone understands that we have one tournament after another. Maybe at the next one we will be in a situation where we are backed against the wall, and then the answer will be different.
At the same time, the captain understands that the safety margin is not unlimited. If the next tournament also ends unsuccessfully, the question of Major qualification will become much more serious, so NAVI need to use the upcoming opportunities to finally remove this uncertainty.
NAVI need to bring back the joy of playing
Aleksib’s main conclusion is not so much about tactics or individual maps, but about psychology. A series of unsuccessful tournaments and constant close losses gradually force players to overanalyze every situation directly during matches, which only adds more tension.
I think we need to enjoy the game more, to feel that passion more strongly. All these difficulties and setbacks make you think too much. Strange things start happening in your head that should not be there, so we have to do everything to prevent that.
For NAVI, the next tournaments will be a test not only of their form, but also of their ability to mentally reset. The team still controls a significant part of its own fate in the race for the Major, but to truly return to stable playoff runs, it needs to stop playing with the constant feeling of previous setbacks.
