Natus Vincere are back. After a title drought stretching back to September 2025, the Ukrainian organization has reclaimed their place at the top of Counter-Strike 2, defeating Aurora Gaming 3-1 in the ESL Pro League Season 23 grand final in Stockholm on March 15, 2026.
Grand Final: NAVI 3-1 Aurora
The series followed a familiar pattern for NAVI — take the lead, absorb a punch, then close it out with authority:
- Mirage: NAVI took control early and never let go, winning the opener
- Anubis: Aurora responded with a strong performance on the newly reworked map
- Nuke: NAVI regained control with a dominant CT side
- Dust II: NAVI closed out the series, securing the 3-1 victory
NAVI celebrate their return to the top of CS2
The grand final peaked at 754,000 live viewers, making it the most-watched match of the entire tournament and one of the most viewed CS2 matches of 2026 so far.
makazze: The Rising Star
The story of the tournament was undoubtedly Drin "makazze" Shaqiri, NAVI's young prodigy who earned the DHL MVP award for his outstanding performances throughout the event. The rookie showed composure well beyond his experience level, delivering impact rounds in crucial moments across multiple series.
Combined with w0nderful's consistent AWP dominance, NAVI's young core is proving that the organization's investment in developing talent is paying off. The old guard may have moved on, but the new generation is ready to carry the NAVI legacy forward.
Aurora's Impressive Run
For Aurora Gaming, reaching the grand final of a tier-1 event is a significant achievement. The Turkish-led roster, featuring recent addition Soulfly and captain MAJ3R, showed they can compete with the absolute best. Their Anubis victory in the final demonstrated tactical depth, and their overall tournament run proves they belong in conversations about the world's top teams.
The defeat stings, but Aurora can take confidence from this result heading into the rest of the spring season.
NAVI's Statement
This victory carries symbolic weight beyond the $250,000 first-place prize. NAVI had not won an international title since StarLadder StarSeries Fall in September 2025 — an eternity by their standards. Questions about whether the roster rebuild would work, whether the young players could handle tier-1 pressure, and whether NAVI's era was over have been decisively answered.
With ESL Pro League Season 23 in the trophy cabinet, NAVI now turn their attention to the spring circuit and the road toward the Major. If makazze and w0nderful continue developing at this rate, the rest of the scene has a serious problem on their hands.