Cover Image Courtesy: Intel Extreme Masters | Thumbnail Image Courtesy: Intel Extreme Masters
IEM Katowice 2020 came to a spectacular end with Na’Vi walking away with their third IEM trophy as they took down G2 Esports in three back-to-back games to win the best-of-five series with a ‘3-0’ scoreline, walking away with $250,000 in prize money and the coveted trophy.
The grand finale which was being hyped as the ultimate showdown while being speculated as a close affair was in reality far from it, as Na’Vi made quick work of the French organization.
Nuke | |
Na'Vi - 16 | G2 Esports - 4 |
Dust 2 | |
Na'Vi - 16 | G2 Esports - 13 |
Mirage | |
Na'Vi - 16 | G2 Esports - 2 |
The surprising thing was that Na’Vi won very easily on the opposition’s map picks while faced competition on their own. Another thing to note was that it wasn’t Aleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev who top fragged for his side instead, it was the 21-year-old IGL Kirill “Boombl4” Mikhailov who carried his team to victory by showcasing a perfect combination of brains and brawl.
But despite losing his grip on the top spot in the finals, s1mple won himself the MVP award for the tournament for his outstanding performance throughout the tournament. It was definitely not a one-man show for Na’Vi this time around, but the one who shone the brightest was him.
Image Credit: Intel Extreme Masters
With this victory, Na’Vi have gone undefeated in the playoffs to become the latest team to join the race for Intel Grand Slam Season 3, while also securing themselves a total of 2320 points, to lead the rankings of ESL Pro Tour.
The changes made by Na’Vi at the start of 2020 have started bearing fruits as they attain great results in back-to-back tournaments. Let’s see what more does Na’Vi have to offer in the months to come.
