Five Grand Finals in a row. Can it be trophy #5 for NAVI?
NAVI vs FaZe is a modern classic matchup. Ever since 2022, the two squads have been battling at the top regularly. In 2024 alone, they have gone head-to-head four times. Unfortunately for FaZe, NaVi has won the series every single time going into the Fall Finals. Seven months after their loss in Copenhagen, FaZe had a score to settle, but NaVi battled through it all to lock in their fifth grand finals of the year with a 2-1 win.
BLAST Premier Fall Finals - NAVI vs FaZe - Semifinals Recap
- FaZe removed Mirage
- Natus Vincere removed Vertigo
- FaZe picked Inferno
- Natus Vincere picked Ancient
- FaZe removed Dust2
- Natus Vincere removed Nuke
- Anubis was left over
The veto between FaZe and NaVi has always been a mind game, and here at the Fall Finals, it was the former taking a gamble. NAVI's inferno has been considered a paper tiger ever since their win over FaZe at the PGL Major Copenhagen. In the three series since Inferno hadn't come up even once. So when FaZe picked it right out of the gates, everyone took notice.
NAVI vs FaZe Rosters - Fall Finals
NAVI | FaZe |
|---|---|
| Aleksi "Aleksib" Virolainen | Finn “Karrigan” Andersen |
| Valerij "b1t" Vakhovsjkyj | Håvard “rain” Nygaard |
| Justinas "jL" Lekavicius | Robin “ropz” Kool |
| Ihor "w0nderful" Zhdanov | Helvijs “broky” Saukants |
| Ivan "iM" Mihai | David “frozen” Čerňanský |
| Andrij "B1ad3" Ghorodensjkyj | Filip "NEO" Kubski |
Map 1 - Inferno - A revenge 7 months in the making
Inferno had a fiery start, with Rain's glock blowing three skulls open to secure a win. NAVI's rising star, iM, was then shoved into the spotlight as his MP9 started a CT onslaught. Round after round, iM was fragging out, and quickly Inferno-specialist b1t stepped up to the plate, too. It was finally karrigan taking the entry route on B to find FaZe a gun round.
The captain set the example, and his troops quickly followed. FaZe took three in a row. Yet again, it was b1t from pit to deliver for NAVI as he cracked down on FaZe's attack to keep NAVI's lead. The Ukrainian headhunter found 15 frags to close the half 8-4. NAVI extended that lead to double digits with a pistol win, but broky suddenly went nuclear in gun rounds. In just four rounds, the Latvian laser added 11 frags to his tally, powering FaZe's bounce back.
NAVI's rifle round woes continued as FaZe now stood a single round away from a tied match. NAVI pinned their hopes on b1ade's timeout. jL started the round with a gorgeous Nade kill, but Rain responded by winning a 1v2 clutch. NAVI, known for their consistently brilliant calling, now capitulated as they lost the bomb to broky's AWP in mid, giving up the lead.
An extended break had the potential to break FaZe's flow, and the iM-b1t duo did their best to make that happen, but it was ropz to close out a 1v1 clutch for a map point. They couldn't do it in Copenhagen 7 months ago, but today, the Forum lit up as FaZe locked in Inferno.
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Map 2 - Ancient - NAVI flip the script
FaZe started strong on Ancient with a pistol conversion for three, including NAVI's first gun round. And despite an eco going NAVI's way, FaZe remained steady in their defense. The T-side calling simply was not on point today, as the defending major champs continued to slip down. Suddenly, w0nderful found back-to-back entries to propel his team back into the game. NAVI was about to tie the map, but a failed smoke from jL allowed FaZe to stay ahead. Repeating the script from Inferno, FaZe took an 8-4 lead and followed with a pistol.
Saved AK-47s were the silver lining for NAVI, and jL made it work as he took three kills to pull out a must-win clutch. b1t followed that up with a triple to deny FaZe's final buy and keep NAVI alive in the Fall Finals a bit longer. Round after round, it was now NAVI's turn to put eight rounds in a row, taking match point. The Ukrainian duo of b1t and w0nderful was absolutely on fire.
FaZe and karrigan finally put a stop to the run, but it was too little too late as w0nderful took over. Stuck in a 2v4 turned 1v2, w0nderful pulled out an AWP play worthy of his name, closing the map out with a wrist-breaker.
Map 3 - Anubis - NAVI annihilate FaZe
NAVI started off with a pistol conversion, and in a series first they held onto the lead deep into the half. At the heart of that was Aleksib, a mid-specialist, who kept finding lurk kills to turn tides. Finally, in round seven, broky's nanosecond perfect Deagle managed to give FaZe a round win. But synchronous frags from iM and jL knocked them right back down. Everything went the way of NAVI, and the team closed out a dominant 10-2 half.
The final pistol round of the series went the way of NAVI, as the team flawlessly executed their strategies. Unfortunately for FaZe, that revenge was not in their fate. NAVI locked in a 2-1 win.
NAVI will face G2 Esports in the Grand Finals of the BLAST Premier Fall Finals after that victory over FaZe. Aleksib's track record against former teams is well known, and against G2 in particular, NAVI is up 9-0. Can they make it an even 10 tomorrow? Stay tuned to esports.gg for the latest CS2 news and updates.
