Natus Vincere secured the final playoff spot from the 2–2 bracket at ESL Pro League Season 23 – Stage 2, defeating 3DMAX 2–1 in a decisive Swiss round series. The match determined which team would advance to the LAN finals and which would see their tournament run come to an end. After trading map wins on Dust2 and Inferno, NAVI delivered a confident performance on Ancient to close the series and secure qualification.
Path through the tournament
The result concludes a dramatic Swiss stage run for both teams.
For Natus Vincere, the victory pushes them to a 3–2 record, allowing them to secure one of the final playoff spots at ESL Pro League Season 23. Earlier in the stage, NAVI had recorded wins against Monte and B8, while suffering defeats against G2 and Legacy before surviving the decisive elimination series.
For 3DMAX, the loss ends their tournament run with a 2–3 record. The French squad started the stage strongly with wins over FURIA and FUT, but losses to Spirit, The MongolZ, and ultimately NAVI prevented them from reaching the playoffs.
read more
NAVI 2–1 3DMAX
Dust2 — NAVI start strong (13–5)
The series opened on Dust2, the pick of 3DMAX, but NAVI quickly took control of the map. Strong early-round aggression and consistent opening duels allowed the Ukrainian organization to build momentum.
Drin “makazze” Shaqiri and Ihor “w0nderful” Zhdanov repeatedly found key picks that prevented 3DMAX from establishing their T-side structure. NAVI steadily extended their lead and eventually closed the map 13–5.
Inferno — 3DMAX answer back (13–5)
3DMAX responded convincingly on Inferno, their defensive setups completely shutting down NAVI’s attempts to gain map control. The French side dominated the tempo of the game and punished several slow executes from NAVI. With strong defensive holds across both sites, 3DMAX secured a commanding 13–5 victory to tie the series.
Ancient — NAVI close the series (13–5)
The decider Ancient ultimately belonged to NAVI. After a competitive opening half, NAVI’s structure began to take over the game. Coordinated executes and strong trading allowed them to consistently break through 3DMAX’s defenses. NAVI gradually built a comfortable lead and closed the map 13–5, securing the 2–1 series victory.
Match statistics
Player of the Match — Drin “makazze” Shaqiri
Across three maps:
- 45–39 K-D
- +3.31% swing
- 92.7 ADR
- 81.5% KAST
- 1.29 rating
His impact across the series played a crucial role in NAVI’s qualification run.
VRS impact
The result also affected the Valve Regional Standings (VRS). Natus Vincere gained +11 VRS points, strengthening their position around the top of the rankings. Meanwhile, 3DMAX lost −7 VRS points, slightly weakening their position in the standings after narrowly missing the playoffs.
Team reactions
Teams quickly reacted on social media after the match.
NAVI players celebrated the qualification, with b1t confirming the result shortly after the series:
Qualified to EPL playoffs (on LAN)
Meanwhile, 3DMAX players reflected on the narrow defeat and missed opportunity. misutaaa acknowledged the result while noting how close the team came to reaching the playoffs:
Out of EPL, unlucky for the playoffs there was space to take that spot. bisous.
While NAVI now prepare for the EPL Season 23 LAN playoffs, 3DMAX leave the tournament after a competitive run that came just one series short of qualification.
What comes next
With the victory, NAVI advance to the ESL Pro League Season 23 LAN playoffs, while 3DMAX exit the tournament after a competitive run that ended just one series short of qualification.
