In matches where not only the result but also reputation is at stake, the loudest upsets are always born. It is exactly such series that create new contenders and destroy the established hierarchies of the scene.
Tournament context
BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 1 is a ranked online tournament in Europe that opens the season and directly affects the distribution of Valve Regional Standings (VRS) points. Thirty-two teams compete in a single elimination Bo3 format, where every loss means immediate elimination. The tournament has a VRS weight of $500,000, and its results form the basis for seeding at LAN finals and key events of the first half of the year.
For Monte, this is a chance to establish themselves as a real force beyond the top 30. For Natus Vincere, it is an opportunity to confirm their status as a stable top-10 team and avoid a dangerous early setback at the start of the season.
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How the match unfolded — Monte vs Natus Vincere
Score: 2:1 in favor of Monte
- Nuke (Monte pick) — 11:13
Monte started the series confidently, worked well on defense, and imposed their tempo in the mid-rounds. Rainwaker and Bymas consistently won the opening duels, but NAVI managed to close the map thanks to better clutch conversion and economy control. The decisive stretch came in the second half, where b1t and w0nderful won several key rounds in a row. - Mirage (Natus Vincere pick) — 13:11
Monte completely broke NAVI’s game plan on their own map. They aggressively took control of mid, cut off rotations, and forced the opponent to play without space. Bymas and Gizmy constantly applied pressure through connector and short, while Rainwaker closed most of the decisive duels on the A site. After the side switch, Monte maintained the tempo and did not allow NAVI to get back into the game. - Dust2 — 13:8
The map that finally sealed the upset. Monte looked much more confident in the opening rounds and quickly destroyed NAVI’s economy. Rainwaker took on the role of tempo leader, regularly opening rounds, while Bymas consistently supported the pressure on the B site. NAVI never managed to impose their game, losing most mid-round situations.
Player of the Match — Aleks “Rainwaker” Petrov (Monte)
It was Rainwaker who became the main catalyst of Monte’s victory.
- K–D: 50–46
- ADR: 77.9
- Rating 3.0: 1.23
Key impact: Stable performance on all three maps, strong work in opening duels, and high impact in mid-round situations. It was his aggression and reading of NAVI’s positions that allowed Monte to dictate the tempo of the series.
VRS results
- Monte — +34 pt → 1331 pt
(a sharp rise in the rankings and a real chance to establish themselves in the top 35) - Natus Vincere — –27 pt → 1813 pt
(a painful loss of positions for a top-10 team and a blow to seasonal stability)
For Monte, this victory has strategic importance: it significantly strengthens their position in the fight for participation in major LAN events.
For NAVI, it is an alarming signal: an early exit means losing not only tournament chances but also valuable VRS points.
What’s next?
Monte advance in BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 1. The team continues their run in the single elimination playoff bracket and gets a real chance for another loud upset in the next round against a much higher-ranked opponent.
Natus Vincere are eliminated from the tournament. The early exit means losing the opportunity to earn major VRS points and makes the fight for a stable place in the world top 8 much more difficult.
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Match summary
Monte delivered one of the loudest upsets of the start of BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 1 by eliminating Natus Vincere in a three-map series. NAVI won their own map but completely lost control of the series on Mirage and Dust2.
This victory sharply raises Monte’s status on the European scene and makes them a dangerous opponent for any team in the bracket. For Natus Vincere, it is a painful and strategically heavy blow that puts the stability of their season start into question.
