NAVI Secure Playoffs Spot After Tight Series vs G2

Natus Vincere have punched their ticket to the playoffs of the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 following a 2-1 win over G2 in a tightly contested Swiss Round 4 series. The match was a LAN best-of-three between two European squads both sitting at 2-1, with the winner advancing and the loser moving to a deciding fifth round.

NAVI opened on Mirage, their map pick, where they edged out G2 with a 13-10 result. The map was close from the beginning, but NAVI’s cohesion on the T-side allowed them to close out crucial rounds late. Justinas "jL" Lekavicius played a key role with a strong 88.2 ADR and 1.21 rating.

G2 responded on Anubis with a reversed narrative. After a tight first half, they outpaced NAVI 8-2 in the second, winning the map 13-9. malbsMd delivered several key rounds, including a 4K defense of the A site and strong post-plant work.

The final map, Inferno, pushed both teams to their limit. After 24 rounds of regulation, NAVI closed it out 19-16 in overtime. While jL continued to perform, iM and w0nderful also made consistent contributions. G2 had solid showings from huNter- and malbsMd, but the team couldn’t hold off NAVI’s offensive rounds late in the game.

With this win, NAVI advance to the playoffs, joining the top bracket of the Major. Their next opponent will be determined after the conclusion of the remaining Stage 3 matches later today. G2, meanwhile, will get one final chance to qualify in Swiss Round 5.