NAVI Takes the W in the First Ever EWC CS2 Championship

A huge congratulations to NAVI, the inaugural Esports World Cup: Counter-Strike 2 champions! While they were not the favorite heading into the event, they earned this title on the back of incredible play calls and massive contributions from every single member of their roster.

As the reigning EWC CS2 champs, they have proven they are a top contender in CS2 moving forward!

How NAVI won the Esports World Cup Counter-Strike 2 Champions

Heading into the Esports World Cup: Counter-Strike 2 NAVI was facing a lot of scrutiny, despite winning a Major earlier this year. Some fans and analysts were even calling for roster changes.

While yes, they won the PGL Major Copenhagen 2024, they did it by the skin of their teeth, actually losing more rounds than they won. Then NAVI followed it up with back-to-back weak performances at IEM Dallas 2024 and the BLAST Premiere: Spring Final.

So EWC CS2 was more than just another tournament — it was a chance to prove that this roster had what it takes. And boy, did they prove that.

The team showed up looking dominant at the Esports World Cup. In playoffs they bested two tournament favorites, FaZe and MOUZ, to advance to the Grand Finals where they were set to face G2, NAVI IGL Aleksib’s former team.

G2 struck first, picking up the first map Ancient in a close overtime, secured through heroic plays from Monesy. But after that NAVI bounced back strong, dusting G2 on both Nuke and Inferno.

Perhaps the biggest factor in the victory was Aleksib’s play calling, which was immaculate throughout the Grand Finals. As a former G2 player himself, Aleksib seemed to have an intuition about how G2 would play.

Additionally, every member of NAVI stepped up in a big way. No single player carried the kills during this series, everyone contributed.

Aleksib continues his undefeated streak against his former team G2, he remains undefeated with seven match wins in a row.

EWC CS2 Global Finals MVP and earnings

NAVI takes home the $400,000 first place cash prize, and etches their name in the Esports World Cup history books as the first EWC CS2 Champions.

And despite losing, G2 NiKo earned the MVP award. He was a dominant force throughout G2’s Grand Finals run. He’ll walk away with the MVP status and a $50,000 cash prize.

What’s next for NAVI and CS2?

With the win NAVI has cemented their place as a Top 5 team in CS2, silencing the doubters in decisive fashion.

Both NAVI and G2 are set to compete in multiple tournaments soon, starting next week with BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2024. The teams will also be competing at IEM Colgne 2024 in August before kicking off the ESL Pro League: Season 20 in September.