Natus Vincere survive against Ninjas in Pyjamas in IEM Cologne 2025 Group B Lower Bracket Semi-final

Natus Vincere took down Ninjas in Pyjamas 2–1 in the Group B lower bracket semi-final of IEM Cologne 2025. After losing the opener, NAVI bounced back with two solid map wins to eliminate NiP from the tournament. Ihor ‘w0nderful’ Zhdanov led the way with 51 kills and a 1.24 rating across three maps, securing MVP honors. NAVI now move on to face FaZe in the lower bracket final later today.

Map 1 – Nuke (13:9 NiP)

Ninjas in Pyjamas kicked off strong on their map pick, edging out NAVI 13:9 on Nuke. The first half ended even at 6:6, but NiP pulled ahead with a composed CT side. xKacpersky delivered consistent impact while frozen clutches helped maintain momentum. NAVI kept it close but couldn’t turn key mid-rounds in their favor.

Map 2 – Inferno (13:3 NAVI)

NAVI responded sharply on Inferno, dominating from start to finish. They built a commanding 10:2 lead by halftime and closed the map comfortably at 13:3. b1t delivered a standout ACE in round 7, while w0nderful stayed sharp with multi-frag rounds. NiP struggled to get past NAVI’s utility and early-round pressure.

Map 3 – Train (13:11 NAVI)

The decider on Train saw a tight battle. NAVI led 8:4 at halftime, but NiP rallied back to 11 rounds before NAVI closed it out 13:11. Aleksib’s calls and mid-round control were crucial, while iM and b1t picked up key multi-kills to deny NiP’s comeback. w0nderful again proved decisive in late rounds.

With this win, NAVI progress to the Group B lower bracket final, where they’ll face FaZe for a playoff spot. NiP are eliminated from the tournament. Earlier, FaZe swept Aurora to reach the same round.

IEM Cologne 2025 is being held in Cologne, Germany. The tournament features a multi-stage format: Stage 1 Play-In (July 26–27), Group Stage (July 28–31), and Playoffs (August 1–4) in LANXESS Arena. The prize pool is $1,000,000, with $400,000 for 1st place, $180,000 for 2nd, and $80,000 for 3rd–4th.