The long road to glory is coming to an end. After days of intense competition, two teams remain at the top — FURIA and Natus Vincere. The grand final in Malta promises to be not just the end of the tournament, but the culmination of the entire autumn CS2 season. Two different schools, two styles, one goal — the trophy and the title of Thunderpick World Championship 2025 champion.
THUNDERPICK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2025 — THE DEFINING TOURNAMENT OF THE AUTUMN
The Thunderpick World Championship has become the year’s final battleground before the winter Major, featuring a prize pool of $850,000 and status as an event that influences the global rankings.
For FURIA, this final is a chance to reclaim dominance in South America and secure a position in the top 5 of the world ranking. For Natus Vincere, it is an opportunity to prove that their summer victory at StarLadder StarSeries 2025 was no fluke — and that the team is once again ready to fight for leadership in Europe.
HEAD-TO-HEAD — ADVANTAGE ON THE SIDE OF NAVI
The head-to-head history between the teams clearly favors Natus Vincere: 8 victories against 3 for FURIA, with one match ending in a draw after overtime. The most recent encounters were dominated by NaVi — at BLAST Open Lisbon 2025, the Ukrainian organization defeated FURIA twice (13–8 Mirage, 13–12 Anubis).
However, it was the Brazilians who triumphed at IEM Rio 2024 (13–10 Mirage, 13–10 Nuke), proving they can dismantle NaVi’s tactical structure. This rivalry traditionally centers on two pillars — FalleN versus Aleksib, two contrasting leadership philosophies: intuitive aggression versus positional rationality.
CURRENT FORM
- FURIA — stability and tempo
The team is showing its best form since the beginning of the year — 72.7% win rate over the past three months, three consecutive victories, and strong performances on LAN. The new lineup with YEKINDAR and molodoy has added speed to their executions, while KSCERATO remains the key figure — 1.21 rating, 0.75 kills per round, 77.5% KAST.
FURIA aggressively control the early phase of rounds but have also greatly improved their post-plant defense. Under Sidde’s leadership, the team follows a clear game plan and appears more organized than at any point in the past year.
- Natus Vincere — experience and discipline
NaVi have won their last three matches in a row, including victories over The MongolZ, Aurora, and Imperial. Their win rate sits at 64%, and b1t maintains solid numbers (1.16 rating, 80.2 ADR).
Aleksib continues to build a flexible system in which iM and w0nderful act as the main driving forces of the attack. Since their win at StarSeries, the team has regained stability, demonstrating confident map control and a disciplined approach during retakes.
MAP POOL & VETO PREDICTION
Statistics over the last 3 months:
- Dust2: 53% | 80%
- Mirage: 73% | 56%
- Inferno: 70% | 58%
- Nuke: 78% | 53%
- Train: 50% | 86%
- Overpass: 78% | —
- Ancient: — | 54%
Predicted veto:
FURIA, as always, will ban Ancient, while NaVi will remove Overpass, a map the Brazilians have been actively practicing.
Expected picks:
- FURIA: Nuke or Mirage
- Natus Vincere: Train or Dust2
- A possible decider — Inferno, where both teams have similar results (70% vs 58%).
KEY DUELS
- KSCERATO vs b1t — the central clash between two consistent riflers, both averaging over 80 ADR.
- FalleN vs w0nderful — a duel of AWP generations, where the Brazilian relies on experience, and the Ukrainian on reflexes.
- YEKINDAR vs iM — a battle for tempo in the opening seconds of each round, which could determine the pace of the entire series.
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PREDICTION
Both teams are in great form but possess different strengths: FURIA appear more balanced in short-distance play, while Natus Vincere have an advantage in macro structure and big-match experience.
The key factor will be w0nderful’s consistency — if NaVi can fully utilize his potential on Dust2 and Train, they will hold a significant edge. However, FURIA have the advantage in mental endurance and maintain a stable tempo on LAN.
Predicted score: FURIA 2–3 Natus Vincere
