In the Group A lower bracket semi-final at BLAST Open London 2025, one of the tournament’s biggest surprises unfolded: the North American squad M80 defeated Natus Vincere 2:1, eliminating one of the favorites from further contention. For NAVI, this loss was yet another blow in a series of inconsistent results, while M80 proved that their progress and team cohesion allow them to challenge even tier-one opposition.
Teams’ Path in the Tournament
M80 opened with a 1:2 loss to Vitality, dropping them immediately into the lower bracket. There, they eliminated Virtus.pro (2:1) and now shocked NAVI to take another big step forward.
Natus Vincere, on the other hand, started with a confident 2:0 win over fnatic, but then fell 0:2 to FaZe. Dropping into the lower bracket, they faced M80 but failed to advance and bowed out of the tournament.
Match Timeline
- Ancient (13:9, M80’s pick)
M80 started on their own pick and showed confidence from the very first rounds. slaxz and Lake controlled key areas while HexT added aggression in clutch moments. NAVI looked competitive in the first half (6:9), but after the side switch, M80 stayed composed and closed it out. Despite strong moments from iM, the North Americans prevailed 13:9.
- Train (13:7, NAVI’s pick)
The second map gave NAVI a chance to bounce back. On Train, iM and w0nderful carried much of the load. Their attack was sharp and coordinated, with key entry frags and well-executed rounds. M80 tried to respond but couldn’t find footing — NAVI comfortably secured a 13:7 win to even the series.
- Inferno (13:11, decider)
The decider was a thriller. The first half ended narrowly in M80’s favor (7:5), but NAVI had chances to turn the tide after switching sides. Still, when it mattered most, M80 were calmer under pressure: slaxz shone in clutches, Lake provided stability, and HexT anchored the defense. Even with iM’s heroics, NAVI fell short — 13:11, and M80 closed the series 2:1.
Player Stats for the Match
Player of the Match
Despite NAVI’s loss, the MVP went to Mihai “iM” Ivan, who posted the best individual numbers of the series:
- K-D: 53–50 (+3)
- ADR: 86.1
- Rating 3.0: 1.22
The Romanian rifler repeatedly pulled NAVI through key rounds, his aggressive style constantly pressured M80, but even his brilliance wasn’t enough to secure victory.
Team Performance
M80
The North Americans displayed a balanced and mature game. slaxz (53–42, 1.17 rating) drove the team forward on offense, Lake (52–51, 1.14 rating) added stability, while HexT (48–43, 1.18 rating) anchored the defense. Swisher and s1n didn’t impress statistically, but their utility work and risky roles were crucial to maintaining team balance.
Natus Vincere
For NAVI, iM once again stood out as the clear leader. w0nderful (46–37, 1.18 rating) supported him well, particularly on Train, while Aleksib (42–43, 1.14 rating) kept the structure intact. However, b1t (40–46, 0.84 rating) and makazze (34–48, 0.84 rating) struggled, with costly duels on Inferno sealing NAVI’s fate.
Previous Encounter
The two teams had already met earlier this year at PGL Major Astana 2025, where NAVI dominated 2:0 (13:4 Dust2, 13:7 Mirage). Back then, the gap in class was evident as NAVI completely controlled the series. In London, however, things changed dramatically — M80 had learned their lessons, improved their preparation, and finally earned a statement-making revenge win.
Coach’s Reaction
After the defeat, Andrii “B1ad3” Horodenskyi, NAVI’s head coach, shared his thoughts on the team’s struggles. He admitted that the roster still needs time to build synergy and improve decision-making:
3DMAX was already much tougher than now. We have a strategy for the next tournaments: to keep playing and improve synergy and decision-making. The team needs more time with this lineup.
Every opponent is different. Against FaZe, we started too slowly; against 3DMAX, we had poor synergy and strange mistakes; and against M80, we lost confidence and drifted away from our game plan.
After talking within the team, we managed to regroup and made a comeback on Inferno. In the end, we read the opponent well, but the last round came down to luck.
This comment highlights that NAVI’s current problems go beyond individual performances. B1ad3 underlined the importance of patience and growth with the new roster, stressing that while mistakes and inconsistency are evident, the foundation for future improvement remains in place.
M80 delivered the loudest statement so far at BLAST Open London 2025, eliminating NAVI — one of the tournament favorites. The result wasn’t just revenge for their defeat in Astana but also proof of M80’s growing ambitions on the international stage.
For NAVI, the loss is another alarm bell: despite the efforts of iM and w0nderful, the team lacks cohesion and consistency in clutch moments. Exiting BLAST Open London raises tough questions about NAVI’s strategy and the future of their roster.
