Natus Vincere recovered from an opening map defeat to beat The MongolZ 2-1 in the third round of Stage 3 at IEM Cologne Major 2026. After losing their opponents’ pick of Nuke, the Ukrainian organization fought back on Ancient and closed the series in convincing fashion on Mirage, improving to a 2-1 record and moving one step closer to the playoffs.
Road through Stage 3
NAVI (2-1)
NAVI began Stage 3 with a loss to Spirit before bouncing back with a 2-0 victory over Legacy. Their win against The MongolZ now puts them into the 2-1 bracket, where one more victory will secure a playoff spot.
The MongolZ (1-2)
The Mongolian squad started the stage with a defeat against BetBoom but responded by eliminating B8 with a 2-0 victory. However, the loss to NAVI dropped them to the dangerous 1-2 pool, leaving no room for error.
read more
The MongolZ strike first, but NAVI turn the series around
The MongolZ opened the series strongly on Nuke, their own map pick. The Asian squad controlled most of the action and secured a comfortable 13-8 victory, putting NAVI under immediate pressure.
Ancient, selected by NAVI, turned into one of the most dramatic maps of the stage. The Ukrainian side managed to force overtime after trailing during regulation and eventually edged out a hard-fought 16-13 victory to level the series.
With momentum fully on their side, Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen and company dominated Mirage. NAVI took control from the opening rounds and closed the decider 13-6 to complete the reverse sweep.
b1t leads the way
Valeriy “b1t” Vakhovskiy was the standout performer of the series. The Ukrainian star finished with 61 kills, 89.0 ADR and a 1.31 rating. Drin “makazze” Shaqiri also impressed with a 1.23 rating, while Ihor “w0nderful” Zhdanov contributed a 1.18 rating. For The MongolZ, Sodbayar “Techno” Munkhbold led the team with a 1.13 rating, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the reverse sweep.
VRS impact
The victory brought NAVI 15 VRS points and lifted them from fourth to third place in the rankings. The MongolZ lost seven points and dropped from eighth to tenth.
- NAVI: +15 points (#3, +1)
- The MongolZ: -7 points (#10, -2)
Team reactions
NAVI celebrated the victory on social media and highlighted the comeback after the tense second map.
After that insane comeback on Ancient, there was NO WAY we were dropping Mirage. A dominant 13:6 finish, and we advance to the 2-1 pool!
The post featured Valeriy “b1t” Vakhovskiy, who delivered another excellent performance and was voted player of the match. The MongolZ kept their reaction short after the defeat, posting:
1-2
followed by:
GG @natusvincere
as the team shifted its focus toward the elimination matches.
What’s next?
The victory puts NAVI one win away from the playoffs and gives the team a chance to continue building momentum after a difficult start to Stage 3. For The MongolZ, the road becomes much tougher, as another defeat would bring their Major journey to an end. With the Swiss stage entering its decisive phase, every remaining series will now carry playoff implications.
read more
Skin.Club Pick’em Challenge
Running alongside the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 is the Skin.Club Pick’em Challenge — an interactive feature where fans predict match results, choose advancing teams, and earn points throughout the tournament. By making accurate picks, participants unlock rewards ranging from premium skins to rare gloves and knives, with the ultimate prize being the iconic AWP | Dragon Lore.
