After NAVI’s nail-biting 2-1 win over G2 at the BLAST.tv Major Austin, Mihai “iM” Ivan joined Pley.gg for a post-match chat that quickly turned into a discussion about one of the most polarizing maps in CS2 – Inferno.
Prompted by the interviewer’s observation that many players seem frustrated with the map, iM didn’t hesitate to share his thoughts.
“It’s the same shit over and over again,” he said. “You fight for Banana, then you go fake somewhere, then you go together. That’s it.”
The Romanian rifler pointed out that this structure can allow underdogs to level the playing field.
“If you have the confidence and dictate the game, you can win rounds. Doesn’t matter if you’re a top team or not,” he explained.
While iM stopped short of calling Inferno broken, his comments reflect a wider sentiment that the map, in its current CS2 iteration, may reward momentum more than preparation. Still, he added, “I think Anubis is still the most hated.”
Overtime Drama and Staying Cool Under Pressure
NAVI’s win over G2 came after surviving match point in regulation, eventually closing it out in overtime on Inferno. iM recalled the pressure clearly. “We had to play very sharp,” he said. “I don’t even remember exactly what we did, but we won the round.”
Despite the high stakes, iM says the team has remained level-headed. “The vibes are good,” he said. “Even when we lose, we don’t tilt. We just fix our mistakes and keep going.”
More Than Just Inferno
While Inferno took center stage in this part of the conversation, the full interview dives into much more.
In the full interview, Mihai “iM” Ivan also talks about:
- The most stressful moment of the G2 series
- How NAVI sees this Major as a “redemption”
- Why the team wasn’t feeling pressure despite past results
- The mood and chemistry within the squad
- His thoughts on NAVI’s tradition of showing up at Majors
Watch the full interview below:
Stay tuned to Pley.gg for more exclusive content from BLAST.tv Major Austin.
