s1mple leads Natus Vincere to IEM Cologne 2021 championship
Russian squad Natus Vincere has won IEM Cologne 2021, the first CSGO LAN championship since 2020. The feat yields the team $400,000 in prize money.
Na’Vi cruised through the group stage at the expense of Renegades, Team Vitality, and Astralis. Each match was a 2-1, but Na’Vi dominated the third map each time. The playoffs went even smoother. FaZe Clan couldn’t take a map off Na`Vi in the semifinals, and G2 Esports was swept in the finals. This LAN victory cements Natus Vincere’s status as the best Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team in the world and adds a Cologne championship to go alongside the team’s 2020 victory at IEM Katowice.
Na`Vi was heavily favored in the grand finals and for good reason. The series started on Dust 2, where a very competitive CT side by G2 Esports was fumbled into a 16-11 win for Na’Vi. The second map, Mirage, was more of the same as G2 got off to a solid start on the CT side, but Natus Vincere clutched it out 16-14 with a fantastic performance from 18-year-old Ukrainian rifler Valerii “b1t” Vakhovskyi. Now needing a reverse sweep, G2 needed to start its rally on Nuke.
After an even first half, Natus Vincere got into a very strong economic position over in the second half and used that to take control on the T side of Nuke. This was the nail in G2 Esports’ coffin, as they were unable to put up a proper fight for the final two rounds. One last grenade stack through the smoke sealed Natus Vincere’s LAN CSGO championship with a 16-14 victory.
Aleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev continued his excellence into the new era of CSGO LAN. s1mple’s stats at IEM Cologne literally break the charts on HLTV. 93.1 damage and .96 kills per round combined for a 1.77 KD ratio for the event. Those stats are head-and-shoulders above anyone else at IEM Cologne. s1mple also broke the record for the most aces at a prominent LAN tournament, with four full team wipes.
Natus Vincere will defend its reign as the king of offline at ESL Pro League Season 14. Na’Vi, G2 Esports, Astralis, mousesports, and more will compete for $750,000 in Malta starting August 16.
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 ...
