Natus Vincere advance to major semifinals over FaZe
Natus Vincere is headed to the semifinals of the 2019 Katowice Major, while FaZe Clan is headed home.
Facing off in the quarterfinals of the Champions Stage playoffs, the CIS squad posted one of its best showings of the tournament thus far in a 2-0 win.
The first game on Mirage was an intense affair. While both FaZe and Na’Vi are built around star players in Nikola “NiKo” Kovač and Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev respectively, both teams had secondary playmakers make their presence felt at key moments.
A pistol round ace by Egor “flamie” Vasilyev set the stage for early dominance by Na’Vi, but Dauren “AdreN” Kystaubayev clapped back with a triple kill that kicked off an extended winning streak for FaZe.
Na’Vi rallied with a huge second half that began with another pistol round ace from Flamie. Denis “electronic” Sharipov carried the team’s momentum from there. FaZe picked up a few rounds, but couldn’t cut sufficiently into Na’Vi’s economic lead as the CIS team took a 16-13 win.
Though FaZe looked strong at points during the first game, the second game on Mirage was a rout. Electronic was still hot from his performance in game one and dominated in game two. Even on the less favorable T-side, Na’Vi was able to rack up a strong 9-6 lead by halftime. When FaZe failed to convert after a second half pistol win, Danylo “Zeus” Teslenko was there to slam the door in FaZe’s face and seal up a 16-7 victory.
FaZe’s run in the major was been defined by its dependance on NiKo’s playmaking skills. Though a strong first half from FaZe teased that the team may have found its footing in full, its struggles to compensate for NiKo’s medicore 28-39 line were clear by the series’ end.
FaZe will maintain legend status heading into the Berlin Major in September, but the team may look different by then after what was a rocky showing in Katowice.
Steven Rondina
About Steven Rondina
Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.
View full profile
Read Also
Counter-Strike
Team Spirit vs Team Falcons at BLAST Open Fall 2026: best predictions and picks
Owen Harsono
We’re in for a treat, as the BLAST Open Fall semi-final will feature a matchup between Team Spirit and Team Falcons, with the winner booking a spot in the grand final. It’s a battle between the world number one and number two, so this is a match you definitely don’t want to miss. Here are our BLAST Open Fall Team Spirit vs Team Falcons predictions. Tournament: BLAST Open Fall 2026 ...
Counter-Strike
Is CS2 Dying in 2026?
Owen Harsono
Counter-Strike is one of the longest-standing esports franchises, having built a loyal fanbase over the course of two decades. However, if you’ve browsed through social media platforms across the past few months, you might have seen people claiming that the game is dying or on a steady decline. Below we’ll take a look at why people are talking about this and answer the question of “is CS2 really dying?” One ...
News
The Esports Nations Cup Has Been Postponed to November 2027
Ben Boland
The 2026 Esports Nations Cup has been suspended until 2027. The Esports Foundation announced the delay on August 18, citing ongoing regional uncertainty. The inaugural competition was scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, comprising over 100 national teams and featuring 16 different games, including League of Legends. According to the Esports Foundation, this decision follows ongoing developments in the region and consultation with key stakeholders. Moving the event ...
Esports Betting
MLBB is the most-watched game from the EWC, and it’s hard to see another game beating it
Michael Hassall
The Esports World Cup 2026 has officially passed its midway point and viewership figures for the tournament have surpassed many expectations so far, as per Esports Charts. The viewership tracking site revealed new statistics for the event on Aug. 6, showcasing just how many games had set new records in viewership, including one name leading the way in views: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. MLBB leads the viewership charts with the ...
Counter-Strike
CS2 at the EWC 2026 Preview: Odds, Details, Predictions and More
Owen Harsono
Top-tier Counter-Strike action returns at the Esports World Cup, as 32 of the best teams will take the trip to Paris to compete for millions of dollars. If you’re looking to watch the event, here’s everything you need to know and which teams to keep an eye on. The Esports World Cup is one of the largest CS2 events if we’re looking at prize pools, as $2,000,000 will be distributed ...
News
Opinion: Is Esports Tracing the Same Evolutionary Path As Traditional Sports?
Cecilia Ciocchetti
What happens when an industry compresses centuries of sporting evolution into less than a decade or two? Communities become global audiences overnight, rivalries spread through social media within minutes, and tournaments turn into entertainment products faster than ever before. And so what took traditional sports centuries to build has taken esports a fraction of that. From local communities to sold out arenas, and from informal matches to Olympic-style events, the ...
Counter-Strike
BLAST Bounty 2026 semi-final predictions: who’s making it to the grand final?
Owen Harsono
The top four teams we’re seeing at the BLAST Bounty 2026 semi-finals are far from what anyone would expect before the tournament began, but here we are. We’re only three matches from crowning a winner, so let’s take a look at the best BLAST Bounty semi-final predictions for both upcoming matchups. Starting the semi-finals off is a banger of a series between FaZe Clan and Team Spirit, which is one ...
