Astralis have just bagged a big one, taking down Natus Vincere NAVI 2-1 in the BLAST Bounty Season 2 Round of 16, claiming a $27.5K bounty and becoming the first team to punch their ticket to the LAN Finals in Malta. Not a bad day at the office for a team many had written off in recent years.

BOUNTY SECURED: @AstralisCS are our first successful Bounty Hunters as they take down @natusvincere and claim that $27.5K bounty! 💰 #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/adTHFwmVlJ

— BLAST Premier 💥 (@BLASTPremier) August 9, 2025

device Turns Back The Clock

If there was ever a performance to spark flashbacks to Astralis’s glory days, Nicolai “device” Reedtz just delivered it.

No one from NAVI could stop device on Inferno🔥 pic.twitter.com/16DILNIfeU

— HLTV.org (@HLTVorg) August 9, 2025

The Danish AWPer put on a masterclass, finishing the series with a 1.47 rating, 55 kills, and a +23 kill-death difference. He was everywhere, cracking open rounds on Inferno with a 22-kill, 1.88-rated display and finding multi-kill after multi-kill to keep NAVI at bay.

Image via HLTV.org

A win that feels different

Astralis have been through a rough patch. a “losing streak era” that saw them missing out on Majors and fading from the top tier conversation. This victory doesn’t erase all of that, but it feels like a turning point. With a spot secured at the Malta LAN from August 14-17, the Danes suddenly look dangerous again.

When you qualify for BLAST Bounty S2 LAN Finals😊 pic.twitter.com/YLUUuR2mkb

— Astralis Counter-Strike (@AstralisCS) August 9, 2025

NAVI’s stumble

On paper, this was meant to be a closer affair. But NAVI came into the match without head coach Andrey “B1ad3” Gorodenskiy on the server, and some of their decisions didn’t land.
Their gamble to pick Dust2. a map Astralis were hoping to avoid, actually worked early on, as NAVI scraped through 13-11 thanks to a crucial quad-kill from Valeriy “b1t” Vakhovskiy and a gutsy last-round B rush.

That was as good as it got. Inferno slipped away under device’s onslaught, and Nuke was over before NAVI found their footing, early clutch losses and a brutal 10-2 T-side from Astralis sealed the deal.
While b1t and w0nderful put up respectable numbers, the rest of NAVI’s lineup struggled to make an impact, with Aleksib, iM, and makazze all finishing the series with negative ratings.

Astralis dominate NAVI on the decider and qualify for the LAN Finals pic.twitter.com/F4WHMcJq2W

— HLTV.org (@HLTVorg) August 9, 2025

What’s next

Astralis head to Malta looking revitalised, with their star man in red-hot form and the squad showing signs of cohesion. For NAVI, it’s back to the drawing board, and for the first time in seven years, they won’t be at a LAN, a stat that will sting until they can bounce back.

😵 NAVI couldn’t qualify for LAN for the first time in 7 years! pic.twitter.com/jPwZsZ0VzM

— CS2 NEWS (@CS2News_EN) August 9, 2025

The post Astralis Era is Back? Astralis Beat NAVI, The First Successful Bounty Hunters at BLAST Bounty 2025 Season 2 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Team Spirit have punched their ticket to the IEM Cologne 2025 Grand Final after a 2–1 victory over Natus Vincere (NAVI), their fourth straight win against the legendary squad.

Spirit make their first Cologne final 🐉 pic.twitter.com/u70i1RAoID

— HLTV.org (@HLTVorg) August 2, 2025

The semi-final clash was anything but straightforward, with both teams trading heavy blows across three maps. While NAVI looked sharp early on Mirage and dominated Nuke, Spirit bounced back in a big way on Ancient to shut the door on any comeback hopes.

Map 1, Mirage – NAVI’s Pick

If there was ever any doubt about who’s leading the charge for Spirit in 2025, Danil “donk” Kryshkovets erased it. He was in red-hot form once again, notching up 58 kills across the series and topping the scoreboard with a 1.42 rating and 101 ADR. From triple-kill holds on low HP to a dazzling ace on Mirage, donk proved to be a constant thorn in NAVI’s side.

#IEM pic.twitter.com/DWGpzeHvm3

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) August 2, 2025

Map one started well for NAVI, they raced to a 7–1 lead on Mirage, their map pick, with makazze setting the pace. But Spirit dug deep and found momentum late in the half, carrying it into the second side. donk’s ace at 9–9 flipped the script entirely, and Spirit managed to edge out a 13–11 win.

.@donk1337 just hits different on the stage#IEM pic.twitter.com/4uyudF4YJO

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) August 2, 2025

Map 2, Nuke – Spirit’s Pick

Spirit’s pick of Nuke didn’t quite pan out. NAVI’s CT side looked locked in, especially with makazze and w0nderful combining for multi-kills and site anchors. The Russian side only managed two rounds on the attack and, despite showing signs of life late in the second half, were unable to recover from the early hole. NAVI closed it out 13–9, with makazze clutching a pivotal 2v4 late to seal the deal.

OMG MAKAZZEEEEEEEEEEEEE #IEM @makazzee pic.twitter.com/3ZruD7Eh08

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) August 2, 2025

Map 3, Ancient – Decider

That loss must’ve lit a fire under Spirit, because they came out absolutely flying on Ancient. Their T side blitzed NAVI with clean executes and mid control, building a 10–0 lead before NAVI could respond. b1t tried to turn things around with a big 1v1 clutch and strong site defence, but the damage had been done. Spirit wrapped things up 13–6 to claim the series.

.@sh1rocsgo showing what he’s made of on Ancient ⚔#IEM pic.twitter.com/ge2sjNBCiy

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) August 2, 2025

It’s Spirit’s first-ever Grand Final appearance at IEM Cologne and they’ve earned it the hard way. Their opponent will be either MOUZ or the red-hot favourites, Team Vitality. One thing’s for sure: if donk and the rest of Spirit keep up this level of play, the Grand Final is going to be a banger.

The post Spirit Beat NAVI to Book Spot in IEM Cologne 2025 Grand Final appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

In front of a roaring Cologne crowd, NAVI have booked their ticket to the semifinals of IEM Cologne 2025 after grinding out a 2-0 win over The MongolZ. It wasn’t an easy road, especially not on Inferno, but NAVI held strong when it mattered, setting up a spicy clash with Team Spirit.

Map 1 Inferno – NAVI’s Pick

The best-of-three kicked off with Inferno, a map that quickly turned into a rollercoaster. NAVI jumped ahead early but lost grip as The MongolZ stormed to a 10-4 lead. It looked like curtains, but Aleksib’s squad clawed their way back with grit and clutch plays, forcing overtime, and then two more. Eventually, NAVI locked in a 22-18 win.

It was @w0nderfulof‘s AWP that SHONE on Inferno to take the first map for @natusvincere ⭐#IEM pic.twitter.com/yIr66CMcvc

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) August 1, 2025

Map 2 Ancient – The MongolZ’s Pick

Map two on Ancient told a different story. NAVI showed total dominance, winning 11 rounds on their CT side before winning 13 – 6. Following the punishing defeat on Inferno, the MongolZ appeared flat, and NAVI quickly took advantage of the situation.

We get the job done on Ancient (13:6) and punch our ticket to the #IEM Cologne 2025 semifinals. GGWP @1mongolz! #navination pic.twitter.com/TAPCD9Aq3p

— NAVI (@natusvincere) August 1, 2025

NAVI’s Insane Newcomer

Newcomer Drin “makazze” Shaqiri, who made his LAN stage debut for NAVI, was a star in the series. After a rocky start, the youthful rifler quickly warmed up on the CT side and achieved an incredible 1.64 rating on Ancient. In the black and yellow shirt, it was a phenomenal moment.

Not bad for a 1st time on stage pic.twitter.com/4NAP9rJHc2

— NAVI (@natusvincere) August 1, 2025

With the victory, NAVI advances to the semifinals, but Team Spirit, one of the most popular teams in CS2 at the moment, stands in their path. Spirit has already defeated NAVI several times this season, and Aleksib and company will have their hands full with players like donk playing at their best.

But this is Cologne, and NAVI are beginning to peak at just the right time. The makazze gamble is paying off, the system is clicking, and the crowd is firmly in their corner. If they can take down Spirit, they won’t just be finalists, they’ll be genuine title contenders.

The post NAVI Eliminate The MongolZ to Secure Semifinal Spot at IEM Cologne 2025 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.