Welcome to all esports and Counter-Strike 2 fans! From August 20, 2025, to August 24, 2025, the biggest esports tournament of the year in Counter-Strike 2 — the Esports World Cup 2025 — will take place. The tournament will feature 16 of the best teams competing in a classic Single-Elimination bracket to determine who is truly the best. One of the most exciting matches of the opening day will be Natus Vincere vs 3DMAX, which promises to deliver a thrilling clash. While the teams prepare, we’ll share CS2 betting tips and a match preview.
How the bookies view it: NAVI favorite
Most bookmakers consider NAVI the clear favorite in this matchup. This makes sense, as the team is one of the strongest on the professional CS2 scene. However, 3DMAX should not be underestimated — they have been showing solid results this season.
NAVI form. What result can be expected from NAVI
Our betting prediction for the NAVI vs. 3DMAX matchup begin with analyzing NAVI form. Traditionally, we begin our analysis with the 2023 season. NaVi participated in the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023: European RMR A and qualified for the Major in Paris.
Before the Major, Natus Vincere placed top-4 at IEM Masters Rio 2023. The Paris tournament turned out to be a failure for NaVi — a top-11 finish can hardly be called a worthy result for a top-tier team.
NAVI roster: w0nderful, b1t, Aleksib, makazze, iM.
Before IEM Cologne, NaVi conducted a global reshuffle, updating the team’s roster. electroNic, Perfecto, and npl were replaced by jL from Apeks, iM from GamerLegion, and Aleksib, who had previously played for Ninjas in Pyjamas.
With the new roster, NaVi debuted at BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2023. "Born to Win" managed to qualify for the Fall Final, placing 4th–6th.
At IEM Cologne 2023, Natus Vincere played quite well, but below their usual level. They first lost 0-2 to MOUZ, then defeated OG in a Bo3. At the end of this top-tier championship, NaVi finished top-8 — a good result for the updated roster at the time.
The main result of the 2023 season for Natus Vincere was 2nd place at ESL Pro League Season 18, followed by a 3rd–4th place finish at BLAST Premier: World Final 2023.
2024 started on a positive note — the team was the best at PGL Major Copenhagen 2024: European Qualifier A. But then their form slightly dipped: top-12 at ESL Pro League Season 19 and IEM Dallas 2024, as well as second place at BLAST Premier: Spring Final 2024.
It is worth noting NAVI’s first title win of the 2024 season — PGL Major Copenhagen 2024. The team was simply unstoppable and on their way to the championship defeated teams such as G2 Esports and FaZe Clan.
NAVI hit good form at the Esports World Cup 2024 — the main tournament of the season. At EWC 2024, NaVi started with a confident 2-0 win over FURIA. Reaching the playoffs, "Born to Win" once again faced FaZe Clan. This time, NaVi defeated FaZe 2-0. Then came a tough match against MOUZ, where NaVi lost the first map 1-13 but pulled themselves together and reached the grand final. In the final, they faced G2 Esports and won 2-1, securing their second prestigious title of the season.
At ESL Pro League Season 20, NaVi won Group A, easily defeating Lynn Vision, NiP, and Eternal Fire. In the playoffs, the team started with a 2-0 victory over archrivals Team Spirit, then beat G2 Esports (2-1), and in the final overcame Eternal Fire with a score of 3-2.
At IEM Rio 2024, NaVi advanced from Group A in second place, losing only to FURIA. In the playoffs, they defeated VP (2-0) and Heroic (2-1). In the grand final, NaVi outplayed MOUZ (3-1), earning their fourth major trophy of the season.
At PW Shanghai Major 2024: European RMR A, NaVi won two matches — against Fnatic and Sinners, but then lost to MOUZ in the deciding match. However, on the second attempt, NaVi reached the Elimination Stage of the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 by defeating sAw 2-0.
In the elimination stage, NaVi began with a win over Liquid, then lost to MIBR and Spirit, after which they knocked out GamerLegion, but lost to Heroic, leaving the world championship just one step short of the playoffs.
The 2025 season began successfully for NaVi with a strong performance at BLAST Bounty Spring 2025: Closed Qualifier, where they made it to the top 8 and secured a tournament slot. At BLAST Bounty Spring 2025, the team also performed well and placed 3rd–4th.
Among the main achievements of Natus Vincere in the 2025 season so far are 3rd–4th place finishes at IEM Katowice 2025 and IEM Cologne 2025.
After an unsuccessful performance at BLAST Bounty Fall 2025: Closed Qualifier, NAVI is ready to redeem itself and fight for victory at CS2 Esports World Cup 2025.
3DMAX form. What result can be expected from 3DMAX
We continue the analysis of the NAVI vs 3DMAX match by examining 3DMAX form. The team returned to pro CS in 2023, participating in just three A-, B-, and C-tier tournaments that year. Their main achievement was winning the ESL Challenger League Season 46: Europe.
3DMAX roster: Lucky, bodyy, Ex3rcice, Maka, Graviti.
In the 2024 season, 3DMAX participated in significantly more tournaments. Although they didn’t secure any major victories, there were still some notable achievements. The team finished in the top 11 at the PGL Major Copenhagen 2024: European Qualifier and IEM China 2024: European Open Qualifier, placed top 4 at RES Western European Masters: Spring 2024, and ended up in the top 12 at European RMR A.
Before ESL Pro League Season 19, 3DMAX competed in the A1 Gaming League Season 8, where they took second place. At ESL Pro League Season 19, 3DMAX proved that they should not be considered a weak team. In their opening match, they defeated sAw, and in the following game against Fnatic, they caused a minor upset by confidently winning 2-0, giving up only 15 rounds across two maps. In the playoffs of ESL Pro League Season 19, they continued to perform solidly, losing only to Astralis and G2, and ultimately finishing in the top 12 out of 32 participating teams.
Throughout the season, 3DMAX also aimed to make their mark at top-tier events. For instance, at Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2024, they finished in the top 24 after a 1-2 loss to Heroic. Later, they attempted to compete at ESL Pro League Season 20 but delivered a weaker performance, ending in the top 20.
However, their results at lower-tier tournaments were much better. 3DMAX became the champions of YaLLa Compass Summer 2024 and secured top-three finishes at both the Thunderpick World Championship 2024 and ESL Challenger League Season 48: Europe.
At the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024: European RMR B, the team started with a win over TSM and then pulled off a surprise by defeating Eternal Fire 2-0 in the qualification match. They went on to beat G2 Esports and advanced to the Elimination Stage. There, they performed at their expected level, finishing with a 1-3 record and a top-13 placement overall.
In the 2025 season, 3DMAX participated in BLAST Bounty Season 1 but were eliminated early after a 1-2 loss to Heroic, finishing in the top 32. Their next event was IEM Katowice 2025, where they performed noticeably better. The team easily defeated both FlyQuest and MIBR with 2-0 scores. In the group stage, they lost to Vitality and dropped to the lower bracket. There, they managed to beat BIG, but their run was halted by Eternal Fire, leaving 3DMAX in the top 8 of the tournament.
At PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025, the team started strong with a win over Virtus.pro, followed by a loss to MOUZ, and then a victory over MIBR. However, despite a 2-1 standing, they failed to reach the playoffs after back-to-back defeats to Eternal Fire and sAw, finishing in the top 9.
After that, 3DMAX continued to participate in multiple tournaments, consistently placing between 9th and 12th, which reaffirmed their status as a solid mid-tier team in professional Counter-Strike 2.
At IEM Cologne 2025, the 3DMAX team won their first match against MIBR with a score of 2:0. However, in the second round of the upper bracket, they lost to NiP with a score of 0:2, dropping to the lower bracket, where they defeated TYLOO 2-0 and advanced to the Group Stage.
In the Group Stage, 3DMAX lost 0-2 to The MongolZ, dropping to the lower bracket, where they defeated GamerLegion 2-1 and lost 0-2 to G2, finishing 9-12th in the tournament.
Recent head to head
The teams have faced each other once, with Natus Vincere taking the victory. The match at the Esports World Cup 2025 is not a grudge match, but since the tournament uses a Single-Elimination bracket, every game is decisive.
Which maps does NAVI pick and ban most often?
Let’s analyze both teams map statistics in 2025 to make smart CS2 tips.
Strong maps
- Inferno: high win percentage (72.2%) with 18 matches played.
- Mirage: high win percentage (68.0%) with 25 matches played.
- Ancient: high win percentage (50.0%) with 16 matches played.
Average results
- Dust2: average winning percentage (45.5%) with 11 matches played.
Weak maps
- Nuke: low win percentage (36.4%) with 11 matches played.
Which maps does 3DMAX pick and ban most often?
Strong maps
- Dust2: high win percentage (60.0%) with 20 matches played.
- Inferno: high win percentage (59.3%) with 27 matches played.
Average results
- Anubis: average winning percentage (46.7%) with 15 matches played.
Weak maps
- Nuke: low win percentage (33.3%) with 18 matches played.
Predicted result of the match between NAVI and 3DMAX at Esports World Cup 2025
Most bookmakers and analysts consider NAVI the clear favorite in the match against 3DMAX at the Esports World Cup 2025. Although the team did not perform well at the previous tournament, they are still regarded as one of the strongest squads. However, 3DMAX should not be underestimated — they have already secured several wins against stronger teams this season. Based on past results, we believe NAVI will come out on top in this match. Fans can expect an exciting and dynamic game.
Betting prediction: NAVI wins.
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