LEC Versus 2026: Natus Vincere Outclass G2 Esports to Reach 7-3 Record

The next match of the day featured Natus Vincere against G2 Esports. NAVI entered the game with a 6-3 record and have already secured their place in the playoffs. For G2 Esports, the situation is not as definitive with a 5-4 standing, making this victory much more critical for them than for NAVI. Let us proceed to the match review.

Game 1 Picks:

• G2 Esports: Renekton, Pantheon, Azir, Ezreal, Leona
• Natus Vincere: Sion, Ambessa, Orianna, Aphelios, Nautilus

The match began quite steadily, with aggression mostly limited to individual lanes. However, by the 5th minute in the river near the mid lane, Leona attempted to clear a ward and paid with her life, yielding a significant kill to Ambessa. This provided Natus Vincere with a slight gold advantage and allowed them to secure the first dragon.

By the 17th minute, NAVI managed to find several successful fights, resulting in a 2.5 thousand gold lead. During this phase, G2's performance raised questions, as their overall map movement and coordination appeared unsynchronized. This allowed NAVI to dictate the pace and act freely across the map, securing three dragons for their objective pool.

At the 20-minute mark, G2 Esports realized they needed to increase their mobility and attempt to force their own tempo by looking for solo kills to reclaim the advantage. While a few of these rotations were successful, NAVI once again found a favorable engagement around the 4th dragon timing. They eliminated nearly the entire G2 Esports roster, losing only Sion, who had provided the initiation. Following this, NAVI won another significant teamfight and secured Baron, pushing their lead to 6,000 gold.

The final fight took place in the mid lane, where NAVI won decisively with a clean Ace and finished the match. This brings Natus Vincere to a 7-3 record, while G2 Esports enters a dangerous position with a 5-5 standing.

This year, the LEC Versus 2026 does not provide a cash prize for winning the tournament. Instead, teams are competing for the opportunity to qualify for the international tournament, First Stand 2026. The Regular Season will be held in a Bo1 format where every team faces each other. In total, teams will play 11 matches each, and those with the best results will advance to the playoffs.