The start of the Swiss system immediately tests how ready a team is to consistently execute its plan without the right to a slow beginning. In the first round, even one series significantly changes the further route, as a victory gives a more comfortable record, while a loss immediately increases the pressure before the next match.
Tournament context
ESL Pro League Season 24 takes place with Group Play in a Swiss Bo3 format. Teams start with a 0:0 record: the winner of the first series moves to the 1:0 group, while the losing team drops to 0:1 and continues the fight in the tournament.
G2 and Natus Vincere met in the opening match. NAVI immediately took the opponent’s pick on Cache, after which they played Inferno even more convincingly and finished the series without needing to go to the decisive Mirage.
How the match unfolded — G2 vs Natus Vincere
Series score: 2:0 in favor of Natus Vincere
- Cache (pick Natus Vincere) — 13:7 in favor of Natus Vincere
NAVI confidently converted their own map pick. The team quickly created a comfortable cushion, played the key rounds more consistently, and did not allow G2 to seriously return to the fight in the second half. - Inferno (pick G2) — 13:4 in favor of Natus Vincere
On the opponent’s pick, NAVI’s advantage became even more noticeable. G2 could not find a stable answer to the opponent’s tempo, while Natus Vincere controlled the map almost from start to finish and closed the series without problems.
Player of the Match — Ihor “w0nderful” Zhdanov (Natus Vincere)
- K–D: 33–11
- ADR: 78.1
- Rating 3.0: 1.48
Key contribution: w0nderful became the most consistent player of the series, finished the match with a huge positive frag difference, and gave G2 almost no opportunity to punish NAVI in key moments.
.@b1tcs closes out the first map in style with a quad kill 💪#ESLProLeague pic.twitter.com/9cqSyLFCYC
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) October 3, 2026
VRS results
- Natus Vincere — +85 pt → 1514 pt
The victory brought NAVI a major ranking boost and moved the team from 32nd to 19th place in VRS. Together with the move to the 1:0 group, this makes the start of ESL Pro League Season 24 especially successful for the team. - G2 — -25 pt → 1808 pt
The loss cost G2 25 ranking points and dropped the team from 6th to 7th place in VRS. At the tournament, the roster will now continue with a 0:1 record.
OHHHH SILENT RELOAD #ESLProLeague pic.twitter.com/orBjnrwUmt
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) October 3, 2026
What’s next?
Natus Vincere move to the 1:0 group of ESL Pro League Season 24, where the next victory will allow the team to reach a 2:0 record and move even closer to advancing to the next stage.
G2 drop to the 0:1 group. The team remains in the tournament, but the next match will already carry significantly more weight, as another loss will move them to the dangerous 0:2 record.
Match summary
Natus Vincere played a very confident opening series and did not allow G2 to impose a full fight on either of the two maps. Cache was played with a noticeable advantage for NAVI, while on Inferno the gap between the teams became even more obvious.
Natus Vincere’s main individual force was w0nderful with a 1.48 rating and a 33–11 K–D. As a result, NAVI earned a 2:0 victory, +85 VRS points, and moved to the 1:0 group, while G2 will continue ESL Pro League Season 24 with a 0:1 record.
