- Na'Vi has defeated Team Liquid during the first round of the VCT Stage 3 Challengers Playoffs
- This is Natus Vincere's professional VALORANT debut after signing the No Pressure roster
- The team will move on to play against Acend, the top seed in the event'
Natus Vincere has defeated Team Liquid and will move on with the hopes of qualifying for the Masters Three Berlin.
Defeating a Major Opponent
Ukrainian esports organization Natus Vincere has won its VALORANT debut by defeating Team Liquid in the first round of the VCT Stage 3 Challengers Playoffs in Europe. The game was heated and ended in a close call, but with all said and done, Na'Vi emerged victoriously.
Natus Vincere was to pick the first map and chose Icebox. Despite being on an enemy-chosen battlefield, Team Liquid started the game with a significant advantage. As defenders, Liquid skillfully used Adil “ScreaM” Benrlitom and Dom “soulcas” Sulcas to repel Na'Vi's attacks. However, when it was their turn to defend, Natus Vincere's players showed an even better defensive savvy and defused all seven of Liquid's spikes. The CIS team upturned the game in their favor and won the map with a 13-10 result.
In the next map, Bind, chosen by Team Liquid, Natus Vincere, didn't have a good time. Liquid's profound knowledge on the map got Na'Vi decimated as the Ukrainian team only scored seven rounds against Liquid's 13.
The game progressed to the last map – Split. Natus once again built their impenetrable wall and blocked most of Team Liquid's offensive maneuvers. Then, in the second half of the game, Na'Vi led some impressive attacks. Aided by the skill of Artur “7ssk7” Kyurshin, Na'Vi won when it mattered and, by extension, won the map with a final score of 13-11. The victory was Na'Vi's.
Na'Vi's New Roster Testing its Mettle
Although this is Natus Vincere's debut on the professional VALORANT scene, the roster itself is comprised of skillful players. Earlier in July, Na'Vi signed four players from the No Pressure roster who joined Na'Vi VALORANT's first member – Kirill “Cloud” Nekhozhin.
The fact that Natus Vincere's roster prevailed in its first game is not only exciting but good for the team's morale. And the team is going to need all the morale it can muster as its next match will be against Europe's top seed team – Acend.
The match against Acend starts in a few hours today, at 18:00 EEST. Depending on the VALORANT team's performance, Na'Vi might just find itself on the Masters Three Berlin.
