Natus Vincere have booked their ticket to the ESL Pro League Season 23 Grand Final after dismantling FUT Esports 2-1 in a series highlighted by an explosive performance from Mihai “iM” Ivan.
The semi-final delivered a highly anticipated storyline: a true master versus student showdown. Just seven months ago, the core of the FUT roster was competing under the NAVI Junior banner before breaking off to enter the tier one circuit. Going head-to-head with the main Natus Vincere squad and their former academy teammate Drin “makazze” Shaqiri proved to be a massive test for the rising squad.
Final map scores
- Mirage: NAVI 13 – 5 FUT
- Ancient: FUT 13 – 11 NAVI
- Dust2: NAVI 13 – 7 FUT
How the series unfolded
- Map 1: Mirage NAVI set the tone immediately. Despite FUT coming into the series hot off a massive quarter-final upset over MOUZ, Natus Vincere completely controlled the opening map. With a suffocating defense and clinical executes, NAVI gave their former academy players zero room to breathe, storming to a dominant 13-5 victory to draw first blood.
- Map 2: Ancient FUT showed incredible resilience on Ancient. Refusing to be swept, the young squad fought tooth and nail in a grueling, back and forth affair. Down 3-8 at one point, FUT mounted a massive comeback to steal the map 13-11, forcing a third and final battleground and proving their mental fortitude on the big stage.
- Map 3: Dust2 The decider brought the series to the classic sands of Dust2, but NAVI quickly shut down any hopes of a reverse sweep. Leaning heavily on their veteran composure, NAVI dictated the pace from start to finish. The map concluded with a decisive 13-7 scoreline in favor of the international powerhouse, officially securing their Grand Final appearance.
Standout performances
While the entire NAVI roster stepped up, iM was the undeniable MVP of the series. He posted a monstrous 67-37 Kill/Death ratio and a 1.58 rating, consistently breaking FUT’s setups and carrying his team through crucial rounds. Additionally, makazze made sure to leave a mark against his former teammates, pulling off two separate aces over the course of the series.
Looking ahead
With this victory, NAVI advances to the Grand Final, keeping their championship hopes alive and securing their first grand final appearance since IEM Rio 2024. FUT will head to the third-place decider match, but their incredible top-four run at EPL Season 23 cements them as a legitimate, highly dangerous force in Counter-Strike. Astralis or Aurora awaits in the Grand Final tomorrow.
