
Natus Vincere coach Andrey “B1ad3” Gorodensky, in an interview at BLAST Open Porto 2026, discussed how his team picks maps, assessed the potential of Drin “makazze” Shakiri, and reflected on the chances of the “Born to Win” squad to win trophies this season.
We usually try to pick our strongest map. However, it often happens that other teams anticipate it and prepare thoroughly. Right now, our team can’t afford to pick our opponents’ weak maps. We’re simply trying to build confidence in the areas where we feel comfortable and catch our opponents off guard with our attacks.
makazze won an MVP medal at one tournament, which is already a good start. He’s a young player who’s improving every day. He has great potential; he just needs to refine his style. Right now, makazze is heavily dependent on his mood—in tense moments, he needs to rely on his skill and well-honed mechanics. We’re trying to help him become stronger. He played well today.
I think our team is capable of winning trophies. Last season, we had a streak of three unsuccessful tournaments, after which we started to pick up steam. Now Cache has been added to our map pool. <...> We’ve acquired a lot of material. We need to stop being a team that relies solely on theory and instead develop a strong feel for each other on the server and make quick decisions. Today, the guys demonstrated clear communication and excellent teamwork.
Natus Vincere defeated paiN Gaming 2-0 in maps during the group stage of BLAST Open Porto 2026. In their next match, the team will face G2 Esports—their match will take place on August 30 at 2:30 p.m. Moscow time.
Photo by Diana Duarte, BLAST.