Natus Vincere defeat Aurora Gaming to win ESL Pro League Season 23

In the Grand Final of the ESL Pro League Season 23 Finals, Natus Vincere faced Aurora Gaming in a Best-of-5 series. The match turned out to be tense but ultimately controlled by NAVI, who secured the championship with a 3-1 victory. NAVI started strong on Mirage, Aurora responded on Anubis, but the Ukrainian organization took control on Nuke and closed the series on Dust2 to claim the title.

NAVI began the series confidently on Mirage. Starting on the T side, they quickly established control of the map by constantly pressuring mid and connector. Several successful entry frags from Drin 'makazze' Shaqiri helped NAVI gain early advantages in rounds. Aurora struggled to stabilize their economy, and NAVI closed the opening map 13:7.

Aurora managed to respond on their own pick, Anubis. The team showed a much more aggressive approach, especially around A-main and mid control. The sniper Özgür 'woxic' Eker played a key role in several crucial rounds, helping Aurora win important force buys and maintain momentum. NAVI attempted a comeback late in the map, but Aurora secured the win 13:11, tying the series.

The third map, Nuke, became a turning point in the Grand Final. NAVI demonstrated strong defensive coordination, excellent rotations from captain Aleksi 'Aleksib' Virolainen, and confident ramp control. After a close mid-game score, NAVI managed to string together several rounds in a row thanks to strong performances from Valeriy 'b1t' Vakhovskyi and Ihor 'w0nderful' Zhdanov, eventually winning the map 13:8.

The final map of the series was Dust2. Aurora started well on the attacking side with fast pushes through long and mid, but NAVI gradually adapted to their playstyle. Several key multi-kills from w0nderful and important entry frags from makazze helped NAVI regain control of the match. In the end, NAVI closed Dust2 13:9, winning the series 3-1 and becoming the champions of the tournament.

Match MVP

The best player of the match and the tournament was Drin 'makazze' Shaqiri, who delivered an outstanding performance throughout the playoffs. His consistent entry fragging and strong impact in crucial rounds played a major role in NAVI’s championship run.

Final standings

• 1st — $100,000 Natus Vincere
• 2nd — $55,000 Aurora Gaming
• 3rd — $37,500 Astralis
• 4th — $22,500 FUT Esports
• 5th–8th — $15,000 Team Spirit;Legacy;The MongolZ; MOUZ

With this victory, Natus Vincere secured first place at ESL Pro League Season 23, claiming the trophy and the largest share of the prize pool. Aurora Gaming finished in second place after an impressive run through the playoffs and a competitive showing in the Grand Final.

The ESL Pro League Season 23 Finals took place from March 13 to March 15, where eight teams competed for the championship title and the $250,000 prize pool.