Natus Vincere Defeat Aurora Gaming and Advance to Qualifying Matches of DreamLeague S26: Eastern Europe Closed Qualifier
The professional Dota 2 season is at its peak, bringing a wave of qualifiers and tournaments. One of the key events these days is the DreamLeague Season 26 qualifiers, taking place from April 1 to April 3, 2025. Among the competing teams is Natus Vincere, who received a direct invitation to the Eastern Europe Closed Qualifier. This article covers their performance in the tournament so far.
NAVI's Path to the Upper Bracket Final
NAVI have participated in numerous tournaments this year, showcasing solid performances, which earned them an invitation to the DreamLeague S26 Eastern Europe Closed Qualifier. The matches are played in a double-elimination best-of-three (Bo3) format, giving teams multiple chances to advance.
In the first round, NAVI dominated 4Pirates with a clean 2-0 victory. Moving on to the Upper Bracket Semifinals, they secured a 2-1 win over L1GA Team. This set them up for a high-stakes battle against Aurora Gaming in the Upper Bracket Final—a match that turned out to be a thrilling showdown.
Natus Vincere vs. Aurora Gaming
On April 2, 2025, the DreamLeague S26 Eastern Europe Closed Qualifier featured several exciting matches, but the standout clash was NAVI vs. Aurora Gaming in the Upper Bracket Final. Aurora entered as the clear favorites, having delivered impressive performances throughout the season in major tournaments. However, NAVI were determined to prove their strength. Here’s a breakdown of how the match unfolded.
- Game 1: Aurora Gaming lived up to their reputation, demonstrating why they were considered favorites. Despite a shaky laning phase, they completely dominated NAVI in the mid and late game, securing a decisive 41-18 victory in 41 minutes.
- Game 2: NAVI struck back with a completely different approach. They extended the game into the late stage, where they outmaneuvered Aurora and equalized the series with a hard-fought 51-44 win in 58 minutes.
- Game 3: before the deciding game, bookmakers still favored Aurora, but what followed was nothing short of astonishing. NAVI seized control from the very first minute, crushing their opponents across all lanes. Yuragi (carry) and Hyukoh (midlaner) finished the match without a single death. NAVI secured a dominant 26-3 victory in just 24 minutes.
What’s Next for NAVI?
With this 2-1 triumph over Aurora Gaming, Natus Vincere advance to the Qualifying Matches, where they will face the winner of Aurora Gaming vs. 1win later today. Tune in to the live broadcast at 16:00 EEST and support NAVI as they fight for a spot in DreamLeague S26!
Ostapchuk Dmytro – writer at EGamersWorld, ESports & Gaming Specialist
Dmytro started working at EGamersWorld in 2024 as a writer and later became a blog editor. His main focus is on esports disciplines Dota 2 and CS2. His tasks include finding topics that interest EGamersWorld readers and covering game updates, their features, and major esports tournaments.
Dmytro has recently begun working in this field, so he is learning a lot and making noticeable progress in this direction.
266Bodello
Valve Confirms $1.6M Starting Prize Pool for The International 2025293vitaliiD
TI 2025: All 16 Teams Confirmed for Dota 2’s Biggest EventThe full Dota 2 International 2025 Teams list is finally confirmed! 16 elite squads will compete for the Aegis this September in Hamburg. See who made the cut and get ready for TI madness!
220vitaliiDNAVI Junior Defeat OG to Secure Spot at The International 2025NAVI Junior qualify for The International 2025 — first time since 2019 for the org. The team beats OG in the WEU qualifier final and heads to Hamburg this September.
387Dima Ostapchuk
NAVI Secure Two Wins and Advance to the Upper Bracket Final at EWC 2025: Eastern Europe Closed QualifierAfter defeating eSpoiled and One Move, NAVI advance to the Upper Bracket Final of the EWC 2025: Eastern Europe Qualifier.830Dima OstapchukDreamLeague Season 26: How NAVI Junior Performed on Day OneNAVI Junior kicked off DreamLeague Season 26 with a 3-1 result after matches against Yakult Brothers and AVULUS.1099Chillplay
Xtreme Gaming Win Asian Champions League 2025 and Qualify for Esports World CupXtreme Gaming are the champions of ACL 2025. The team won a hard-fought series, earned $100,000, and secured a ticket to the biggest tournament of the year — EWC 2025.
