Natus Vincere Defeat Falcons 2:1 to Secure BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026 Playoff Spot

Natus Vincere secured an important victory over Falcons at BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026, advancing further in the upper bracket. The series went the full three-map distance and featured multiple momentum swings, but NAVI proved stronger in the decisive moments. This win guarantees them a playoff spot, while Falcons drop to the lower bracket.

Map veto:

• Natus Vincere removed Anubis
• Falcons removed Overpass
• Natus Vincere picked Mirage
• Falcons picked Inferno
• Natus Vincere removed Nuke
• Falcons removed Ancien
• tDust2 was left over

Falcons started strong on Mirage, taking control early and finishing the map 13:9. NAVI struggled to find consistency on their own pick and couldn’t recover after losing key rounds in the second half.

On Inferno, NAVI bounced back. After a competitive first half, they tightened up their defense and managed to close the map 13:9, equalizing the series and shifting momentum in their favor.

The decider, Dust2, turned into the most dramatic map. Falcons initially gained the lead after a strong comeback from 2:6 to 9:6, but NAVI responded with a dominant streak, winning seven rounds in a row to secure the map 13:9 and the series 2:1.

Match MVP

The standout player of the match was makazze, who delivered a strong performance across all three maps and finished the series with a 1.32 rating.

Natus Vincere move on in the upper bracket and have already secured a place in the playoffs, while Falcons continue their tournament run in the lower bracket. BLAST Open Rotterdam runs from March 18 to 29, featuring 16 teams competing for a $250,000 prize pool.