Natus Vincere’s run at BLAST Open Porto 2026 has come to an end. G2 Esports swept the Ukrainian roster 2-0 in the Group A lower bracket semifinal, closing out the series in dominant fashion.
The result is notable because it sends G2 straight into the lower bracket final, while NAVI’s tournament journey stops well short of the top spots. For fans following the group’s bracket, this match decided who would keep chasing the playoffs and who would head home early.
Background of the Clash
Both teams arrived at this stage after already dropping into the lower bracket earlier in the event. A loss here meant elimination, so the stakes were high for both G2 and Natus Vincere.
The series followed a best-of-three format on LAN. During the map veto, Natus Vincere removed Dust2 first, then G2 took out Nuke. NAVI picked Ancient, and G2 countered with Inferno. After NAVI removed Cache and G2 removed Anubis, Mirage was left over as the potential decider.
Two Maps, One Clear Winner
G2 opened on Ancient, NAVI’s own pick, and still controlled the map from start to finish. The final score read 13-6 in G2’s favor, with a 9-3 first half followed by a 4-3 second half. This early statement set the tone for the rest of the series.
On Inferno, G2’s pick, the match was tighter. G2 built an 8-4 lead in the first half, but NAVI fought back and won the second half 6-5. Even so, it was not enough to close the gap, and G2 sealed the map 13-10. As a result, the series ended 2-0, and Mirage was never played.
MVP of the Series
Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko was the standout performer for G2. He finished with a 37-20 kill-death record, a 90.0 average damage per round, and an 83.3% KAST. His overall rating of 1.61 was the highest on either roster, and his positive swing of +7.95% showed he only got stronger as the series progressed.
Matúš “MATYS” Šimko backed him up with a 1.34 rating and a 29-21 record, giving G2 two players well above a 1.00 rating. On the NAVI side, Mihai “iM” Ivan led his team with a 1.10 rating, but no NAVI player matched G2’s top performers.
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— BLAST Premier 💥 (@BLASTPremier) August 30, 2026
VRS Ranking Shifts
The result also affected both teams’ VRS points. G2 entered the match with 1704 points, ranked #8. They gained 34 points from the win, bringing their total to 1738 points, and they held onto the #8 spot, meaning no change in ranking position.
Natus Vincere entered with 1659 points, ranked #9. The loss cost them 12 points, dropping their total to 1647 points. As a result, NAVI fell one spot, down to #10 in the standings.
Why This Result Matters
G2 now advance to the Group A lower bracket final, where they will face the winner of the M80 versus Aurora match. That next matchup will decide who keeps their spot alive further along in the lower bracket.
For Natus Vincere, the tournament is over. They finish in the 9-12th place bracket, earning $7,500 in prize money along with a $25,000 club share. Meanwhile, G2’s clean 2-0 sweep, powered by HeavyGod’s standout performance, keeps their BLAST Open Porto 2026 campaign alive and puts them one win away from a higher finish.
