Na'Vi stunned by Syman Gaming in ESL One Road to Rio CIS

Steven Rondina Published 09/05/2020

A couple of months ago, Natus Vincere looked ready to completely take over the global Counter-Strike: Global Offensive scene after their victory at IEM Katowice 2020. In the ESL Road to Rio, they aren’t looking nearly as strong.

Natus Vincere now finds itself with a 2-2 record in the CIS region’s group stage. That second loss came after a shock defeat at the hands of Syman Gaming. 

The series against Syman Gaming started inauspiciously for Na’Vi as Syman sprinted its way to victory. The game started off competitive, but Syman broke off 12 straight to close the game quickly.

In a familiar refrain for Na’Vi fans, Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev stepped up huge in game two. In a back-and-forth showdown on Dust 2, s1mple’s 35 kills was the difference maker en route to a 16-14 victory.

Syman bounced back in game two and jumped off to a 9-1 lead on the T side on Train. Though that’s often a death knell, Na’Vi managed to bridge the gap and nearly mount a rally. The door was closed on a comeback when Na’Vi messed up a timing play badly, getting forced into a bad rush that ended the game 16-12.

That 2-1 loss to Syman Gaming puts Na’Vi in an awkward spot in the Road to Rio CIS group stage. All six teams in the group currently have a 2-2 record, with Na’Vi’s wins coming over pro100 and Espada, and its other loss coming from Virtus.pro.

Na’Vi will look to finish the group stage above .500 and avoid a potentially problematic early elimination with a series against Hard Legion Esports.

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

XSE Pro League 2026 in China: Teams, format and prize pool Owen Harsono Counter-Strike is back after the IEM Cologne Major, as the XSE Pro League 2026 is the first notable event since then. 16 teams book flights to China to compete in the million-dollar event. Here’s everything you need to know about the XSE Pro League 2026 event. Top-tier Counter-Strike returns to the passionate grounds of China, as the event will take place in the city of Guangzhou. Teams will play in ...

Esports Betting

Will Valve add Cache in the CS2 Premier Season 5 Active Duty map pool? Wasif Ahmed Following the highly anticipated return of Cache to Counter-Strike 2 earlier this season, the competitive community has almost started believing that the legendary industrial map would soon make its way into the Active Duty map pool for Premier Season 5. This expectation followed a pattern set by Train, which Valve brought back late last year before quickly pushing it into the main professional tournament rotation. However, in a recent Twitter ...

Counter-Strike

IEM Cologne Grand Final: Team Falcons vs FURIA best betting predictions Owen Harsono Coming into the IEM Cologne Major, nobody would have expected a grand final series between Team Falcons and FURIA, but here we are. Will NiKo finally win his first Major, or will FalleN win another one before retiring at the end of the year? Here are our IEM Cologne Major Grand Final predictions. Tournament: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage: Grand Final Game: Counter-Strike 2 Format: Best-of-five Betting tip: Team Falcons ...

Counter-Strike

Team Spirit vs Team Falcons IEM Cologne Major: betting predictions and picks Owen Harsono We’re in for a treat, as Team Spirit will take on Team Falcons for a spot in the IEM Cologne Major grand final. Will NiKo finally get another shot at winning a Major, or will donk and company prevent him from accomplishing his lifelong goal? Here are our IEM Cologne Major Team Spirit vs Team Falcons predictions. Tournament: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage: Semi-Final Game: Counter-Strike 2 Format: Best-of-three Betting ...

Counter-Strike

Vitality vs Falcons betting predictions and best picks: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Owen Harsono We’re treated to a possible grand final matchup here in the quarterfinal of the IEM Cologne Major, with Team Vitality taking on Team Falcons in an elimination match. These are two of the highest-profile teams in the game right now, but only one of them can continue their chase for the trophy. Here are our IEM Cologne Major Team Vitality vs Team Falcons predictions. Tournament: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage: ...

Counter-Strike

IEM Cologne Major 2026 playoffs preview: matchups & predictions Owen Harsono The top eight teams at the IEM Cologne 2026 Major are set. Most of the favorites easily secured their spots, but we also have promising underdogs sneaking into the bracket. To keep you up to speed, here’s everything you need to know about the IEM Cologne Major playoffs. We started with 32 teams and are now only down to eight. After a grueling Stage 3, teams have been seeded into ...

Counter-Strike

IEM Cologne Major 2026 CS2 Playoffs Pick’Em Predictions Owen Harsono It’s that time of the year again, as the next Counter-Strike 2 Major is right around the corner. The IEM Cologne 2026 Major is set to start on June 2, meaning you still have some time to lock in your Pick’Em predictions. The Pick’Em Challenge is one of the most exciting parts of the CS2 Majors, as it allows you to test your knowledge and predict which teams make it ...