Natus Vincere secured a 2–1 victory over FUT in the ESL Pro League Season 23 semifinal, advancing to the grand final after a competitive three-map series. After dominating Mirage, NAVI briefly lost momentum on Ancient before recovering on Dust2 to close the match and book their place in the championship series. The win sends the Ukrainian organization to the EPL Season 23 grand final, while FUT will move to the third-place decider match.
Path through the tournament
Both teams arrived at the semifinal after impressive playoff runs.
Natus Vincere reached the final four by defeating The MongolZ (2–0) in the quarterfinal. Earlier in the event, NAVI also secured victories against 3DMAX and B8, although they suffered defeats against Legacy and G2 during the Swiss stage.
FUT, meanwhile, impressed during their first ESL Pro League appearance. The squad advanced to the semifinals after eliminating MOUZ (2–1) and Legacy (2–1) earlier in the playoffs, establishing themselves as one of the surprise teams of the tournament.
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NAVI 2–1 FUT
Mirage — NAVI start strong (13–5)
The series opened on Mirage, FUT’s map pick, but NAVI immediately took control of the game. Confident mid control and sharp opening duels allowed NAVI to dictate the tempo early. Mihai “iM” Ivan and Valeriy “b1t” Vakhovskiy repeatedly shut down FUT’s attempts to establish map control, giving NAVI a comfortable lead.
FUT struggled to recover momentum throughout the map, allowing NAVI to close Mirage convincingly 13–5.
Ancient — FUT answer back (13–11)
FUT responded on Ancient, where the map remained competitive throughout most of the game. The international squad showed strong defensive coordination and managed to punish several slow executes from NAVI. Key multi-kill rounds from Laurentiu “lauNX” Țârlea helped FUT build momentum late in the game.
Despite NAVI pushing the scoreline close in the final rounds, FUT held their ground and secured the 13–11 victory, tying the series.
Dust2 — NAVI seal the series (13–7)
The deciding map Dust2 ultimately belonged to NAVI. After a relatively even opening half, NAVI began to take control through disciplined trading and strong mid-round decisions. iM once again led the scoreboard, while makazze and b1t consistently won crucial duels.
NAVI gradually built a comfortable lead before closing the map 13–7, securing the 2–1 series victory.
Match statistics
Player of the Match — Mihai “iM” Ivan
Across three maps:
- 67–37 K-D
- +2.84% swing
- 111.0 ADR
- 80.6% KAST
- 1.58 rating
The Romanian rifler delivered a dominant performance across the series and played a key role in NAVI’s run to the final.
VRS impact
The match also influenced the Valve Regional Standings (VRS). Following the victory, Natus Vincere gained +32 VRS points, strengthening their position among the top-ranked teams. Meanwhile, FUT lost −12 VRS points after falling short in the semifinal.
Team reactions
Both teams reacted on social media shortly after the match. NAVI celebrated their qualification for the grand final with a confident message directed at their opponents:
@FUTesportsgg, you were incredible — but this time we’re the ones heading to the Grand Final!
Several members of the community also congratulated the team. Former NAVI personalities and fans praised the performance and highlighted the team’s progress during the event. FUT, meanwhile, reflected positively on their historic run despite the defeat:
TOP 4 in our very first ESL Pro League, a run we’re incredibly proud of.
The organization also confirmed that they will play in the third-place decider match.
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What comes next
With the victory, Natus Vincere advance to the ESL Pro League Season 23 grand final, where they will fight for the championship trophy. For FUT, the tournament is not over yet. The team will compete in the third-place decider, giving them another opportunity to finish their impressive EPL campaign on a strong note.
