In an exhilarating trilogy of cards, Natus Vincere defeated FaZe to win the title of CS2 First Major champions at PGL Major Copenhagen. More than 1.8 million viewers watched the series simultaneously, the third-highest total in Counter-Strike history. After NAVI won on the map chosen by FaZe, they unexpectedly lost on their choice. Nevertheless, the team was able to come together and put on an outstanding performance on Inferno, where Valeri "b1t" Vakhovsky and Justas "jL" Lekavicius combined for 43 kills, eventually finishing the map with a score of 13-3. The Lithuanian player finished the tournament with a 1.23 rating in the final, earning his first MVP medal.
A dramatic turn and a triumphant ending
The victory was a long-awaited trophy for several NAVI players, especially Aleksi "Aleksib" Virolainen, who finally won the Major title after several difficult years after leaving ENCE. "It seems unrealistic," - Aleksib said after the match. "Nothing would have been possible without my teammates. So selfless, everyone is doing a great job. We've had our ups and downs over the last six months. Everyone was working like a man possessed. Respect is also due to B1ad3. He made me the best player and the best coach in the world."
NAVI become a legend
With this win, NAVI become only the third organization to win more than one Major, joining fnatic and Astralis in this exclusive club. And b1t adds a second Major trophy to his resume, joining Peter "dupreeh" Rasmussen, Dan "apEX" Madesclair and Emil "Magisk" Reif as players who won Majors, speaking two different languages.
Key moments of the battle
FaZe surprised with the choice of Ancient, a map they've only played twice this Major with mixed results. Starting on offense, FaZe snatched an early lead, but Natus Vincere quickly took control of the game thanks to a terrific hat trick from jL, including the lone kill. Natus Vincere showed exemplary play on defense, preventing Finn "karrigan" Andersen's team from making significant gains for much of the first half. However, FaZe managed to find gaps and finish the first half trailing by only two rounds. Natus Vincere increased their lead by winning the pistol round after the break and maintained that momentum, bringing the score to 10-5. With weapons in hand, FaZe found their game and cut the gap to one round. It seemed like a classic FaZe comeback was coming, but Natus Vincere kept their cool. jL broke this streak by winning 1 on 1, and then, when FaZe were on the verge of winning the round with only one SMG, he made a sensational 1 on 3 clutch, clinching the game for his team.
Prize Rewards
NaVi players earned 500 thousand dollars for their performances (prize is shared by all). FaZe Clan received a check of $170,000, while Team Vitality and G2 Esports, who finished in 3rd and 4th place, – $80,000.
