September 12, 2023 will go down in history forever Natus Vincere… On this day, the players of the Ukrainian club took first place at ESL Pro League Season 14 in CS: GO, becoming the third team in history to win a million dollars for the Intel Grand Slam. Now the composition Alexandra s1mple Kostyleva there was only one unresolved problem on the professional stage: the major did not submit to him. Why is now the best time for NAVI to take the most prestigious CS: GO tournament – in the material from Cybersport.ru.
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The most important replacement in the modern history of NAVI
Less than half a year later, representatives of Natus Vincere announced that the club was returning to a system with a five-member roster, and Egor flamie Vasiliev temporarily gives way to the main squad Valery B1t Vakhovsky… I think the results of the last couple of months have made it obvious to even the most devoted fans of flamie that the days of their idol in the Ukrainian organization are numbered. Yes, team coach B1ad3 continues to talk about the desire to work with a team of six people, but two factors speak against the return of flamie at once. Firstly, Valve continues to stand its ground, and so far there are no prerequisites that the company will suddenly change its mind and allow teams to apply for matches of six players. Secondly, even if the situation suddenly changes, NAVI looks like a much more preferable candidate for an expanded roster. Ilya m0NESY Osipovshining at the level of academic teams.
Of course, on the one hand, the situation in which flamie finds himself is somewhat regrettable, because Vasiliev spent many years with Natus Vincere and was an important part of many of the club’s victories. On the other hand, it confirms the thesis that history is cyclical. Do you remember whose arrival started a new chapter in the history of NAVI, making the middle peasant team a two-time Major Finalist? It was Vasiliev, going from HellRaisers in 2015, raised Natus Vincere to the top. And now, six years later, flamie’s departure became necessary in order for the team to move on.
B1t with IEM Cologne 2023 Champion Trophy Photo: ESL
With the arrival of B1t in the main roster, NAVI received the very missing element that prevented the team from rightfully gaining a foothold in the status of the best team in the world. Vakhovsky became the third stable player in the roster, not sagging according to individual statistics. S1mple and electronic have been dragging the team on their shoulders for several years with varying success, but other players tended to go into the shadows at the most inopportune moments, as a result of which NAVI was left behind in many tournaments. Now, when on the server Natus Vincere is supported by three people who are capable of turning the situation around on their own, it has become much easier to win. Three tournaments in a row is a good confirmation of this.
Putting aside the emotional part of the question and looking at the bare facts, the correctness of replacing flamie with B1t becomes even more obvious. What do fans look at when they want to evaluate the success of a particular player in CS: GO? Basically, fans are interested in three things: did the esports player win a Major, how much prize money does the esports player have and what individual statistics he shows. And if in the first paragraph of the case that Vasiliev and Vakhovsky have not yet moved off the ground, then the amount of money they won can be quite comparable. Flamie, who started his professional career in 2012, earned about $ 884 thousand. Vakhovsky, who made his debut on the CS: GO stage seven years later, and who began performing at tier-1 tournaments with serious prize money in 2023, has already managed to replenish his bank account worth more than half a million dollars. In a nutshell: Vakhovsky earned more than half of what it took Vasiliev almost ten years in six months of playing with NAVI. And do not forget that B1t has two more tournaments this year with a total prize pool of $ 3 million, from where he can take another $ 300 thousand for himself and come close to the Russian. As for the third point, it is even awkward to compare B1t and flamie here. The Ukrainian recently played the best map with NAVI (rating 2.1 in the match against ENCE) and, obviously, has no plans to stop there. I think the management of Natus Vincere is very pleased with the work of the breeding department.
A chapter that praises s1mple again
In 2023, and especially in the second half of it, it is getting harder and harder to write lyrics about the Natus Vincere roster for one simple reason: it is getting harder and harder to find new words to praise the main creator of NAVI’s successes – Alexander s1mple Kostylev. Oh, surprise! The sniper was named the most valuable player in ESL Pro League Season 14 (fifth MVP medal of the year and 16th in his career). You will not believe! Kostylev showed the best individual statistics among all the participants in the championship. Blimey! S1mple became the best player in the playoffs and again led his team to the championship title. However, nothing new. As strange as it may sound, at the last tournament Kostylev did not show anything new from a game point of view. As English-speaking commentators like to say: “S1mple just doing s1mple things”. But, frankly speaking, I no longer see any point in talking about the individual skills of a Ukrainian.
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