Natus Vincere wins ESL Pro League Season 20
After three weeks of intense battles and grueling competition, ESL Pro League Season 20 has crowned its champion. In a thrilling Best-of-5 Grand Final, Natus Vincere overcame Eternal Fire to claim the prestigious title in Malta.
The journey to victory was filled with high-octane performances, memorable plays, and a dramatic conclusion that secured NA'VI’s second ESL Pro League title.
Journey to the Finals
Natus Vincere and Eternal Fire both emerged from Group A, delivering remarkable performances throughout the group stage. Both teams claimed flawless 2-0 wins against both their opponents, earning their places in the Upper Bracket Final. There, NA'VI bested Eternal Fire 2-0, claiming the top spot in Group A, while Eternal Fire settled for second.
In the playoffs, Eternal Fire faced a tough route, defeating The MongolZ before upsetting Team Vitality in a hard-fought quarterfinal match. The Turkish squad then took down MIBR in the semifinals to book their spot in the Grand Finals.
NA'VI's playoff journey was one game less than Eternal Fire, but no less challenging. They began with a commanding 2-0 victory over Team Spirit, followed by a win against G2 Esports—marking the eighth time NA'VI’s in-game leader Aleksi "Aleksib" Virolainen triumphed over his former team. This victory set the stage for a rematch with Eternal Fire in the Grand Final.
Grand Final: Natus Vincere 3-2 Eternal Fire
The Grand Final was a nail-biter from start to finish, with both teams trading blows across five maps. Eternal Fire kicked things off with a strong performance on NA'VI’s map pick, Nuke. Behind an inspired showing from Özgür "woxic" Eker, Eternal Fire secured a convincing 13-8 victory to take an early lead.
NA'VI answered back on Anubis, where Mihai "iM" Ivan stole the show with a 30-kill performance. NA'VI narrowly claimed the map 13-11, leveling the series. The momentum carried over to Ancient, as Justinas "jL" Lekavičius and Valerij "b1t" Vakhovsjkyj led NaVi to another 13-11 win, giving them the lead in the series.
However, Eternal Fire refused to back down, putting on a dominant display on Inferno. Once again, it was woxic who carried the Turkish team, helping them secure a crushing 13-4 win to push the series to a fifth and final map.
Dust 2 was a closely contested affair, with both teams trading rounds in a back-and-forth battle. Although NaVi led 7-5 at the half, it was a very close game none-the-less. But NA'VI came out fighting on their CT side.
b1t delivered an astounding 14 kills in the second half, while jL contributed a clutch round that brought NaVi to match point. NaVi closed out Dust 2 with a 13-10 victory, sealing the series 3-2 and securing their ESL Pro League Season 20 championship.
MVP and Accolades
Justinas "jL" Lekavičius was awarded the MVP of the tournament, recognizing his consistent performance throughout ESL Pro League Season 20. Despite a slightly underwhelming Grand Final showing, his overall impact was undeniable.
For Aleksi "Aleksib" Virolainen, this victory marked a significant personal milestone, breaking his streak of Best-of-5 finals losses. After falling short in previous finals at ESL Pro League Season 18, BLAST Premier Spring Final 2024, and IEM Cologne 2024, Aleksib finally conquered his past struggles.
For b1t and Natus Vincere, this is their second ESL Pro League title, following their victory at ESL Pro League Season 14, a tournament that also crowned them winners of the Intel Grand Slam III, making them the third team in history to win the award.
Natus Vincere's triumph at ESL Pro League Season 20 marked their third trophy of the year. With their current momentum and form, it's only a matter of time before the Ukrainian squad challenges Team Vitality for the top spot in the global rankings.
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Featured Image Source: ESL
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