Thorin on Natus Vincere: “They risk suffering the same fate as FaZe Clan if they fail to qualify.”
Journalist Duncan “Thorin” Shields, in the latest episode of the Feed The Trolls podcast, discussed Natus Vincere’s chances of missing the PGL Singapore Major 2026, speculated on the consequences of such an outcome for the organization, and explained why it would be difficult for the club to rebuild its roster if it fails to qualify for the Major.
On Natus Vincere’s chances of missing the PGL Singapore Major 2026
If Natus Vincere fails to qualify through ESL Pro League Season 24 or the PGL Masters Bucharest 2026, it will most likely have to travel to a VRS-LAN event, something this roster has never done before. Let me be blunt: they’re exactly the kind of team that should under no circumstances venture into such Tier 2 tournaments. You’re guaranteed to lose to just about anyone there. They don’t have any superstars capable of single-handedly turning around lost matches, so you’ll easily suffer a random loss to complete nobodies. A team like Alliance will just wipe the floor with you. I’ve seen it happen with my own eyes to Aurora Gaming, G2 Esports, and other strong teams that consistently make the playoffs in major tournaments. Furthermore, the high-level, structured play that NAVI demonstrates is completely ineffective against Tier 2 and Tier 3 teams. At that level, players engage in a completely different, chaotic style of Counter-Strike.
On the consequences of a potential Major miss for Natus Vincere
They risk repeating FaZe Clan’s fate if they fail to qualify. The situation looks as bleak as it gets, since NAVI is the only organization in the world that has never missed a single Major in its entire history. The irony is that karrigan ended up going and winning the last tournament in the series. But back then, he nearly lost either his status as the oldest participant or some other record—I don’t remember exactly—I think it was in favor of apEX. Because of the endless discussions about his past finals and the possibility of him not participating, a PR nightmare ensued that only made the situation worse. If Natus Vincere skips the tournament, people will bring up its past achievements and blow it out of proportion in the media tenfold. Because of a single slip-up, everyone will start writing the organization off. But to what extent would this really be the end? If b1t decides to leave after something like this, the team is definitely done for. We hadn’t even considered the worst-case scenario, but imagine if B1ad3 were to leave the team? What would the team have left at all? Without one or two key players, this roster would instantly drop out of even the top ten in the world rankings.
On Natus Vincere’s Reputational Crisis and the Risk of Slipping into Tier 2
Pro gamers have a simple mindset: they focus on who’s currently on the roster. Back in the day, I was the only one who predicted Team Falcons’ greatness when they were still stagnating with Snappi. I knew the inside story—NiKo had promised to join them half a year before his actual transfer in 2024; G2 Esports simply asked him to wait one season. And as soon as you get the Bosnian player, the first domino falls. m0NESY will follow him immediately, and after that—any top player in the world—which is exactly how the Falcons ultimately ended up with karrigan. NAVI’s problem right now is that it lacks such a key figure. Moreover, James Banks has already openly spoken on podcasts about b1t’s dissatisfaction. Pro players are constantly in touch with one another; rumors spread instantly, and if the current roster is unhappy with the situation, there’s simply no reason for outside stars to join the team.
The financial factor also doesn’t work in the club’s favor. Excluding b1t, who surely has a massive contract, the salaries of the rest, in my estimation, are somewhere around 60% of Team Vitality’s level. Players from Eastern Europe have historically not received astronomical salaries or contracts on par with Team Falcons or G2 Esports. They don’t come here for a get-rich-quick scheme. The current situation is far from the worst-case scenario, since the team still has a chance to qualify for a Major. The real problems will begin at the end of 2026 if they fail to qualify. Total chaos will ensue, players will refuse to join, and the organization will have to take the bleakest path possible—shifting entirely toward Ukrainian talent and filling out the roster with local players from teams like B8 Esports or Monte. But could such a roster ever bring NAVI back to the top of the world rankings? Even if the rookies under B1ad3’s leadership make progress, you’ll never return to the world’s top-2 tier if you’re constantly rebuilding with even lesser-known players.
In the previous episode of the podcast, Thorin and analyst Sudan “Bleh” Wahengbam discussed the reasons behind Natus Vincere’s decline and analyzed in detail the specifics of Andrey “B1ad3” Gorodensky’s coaching system, its relevance, and the coach’s influence on the club’s transfer policy.
Photo by João Ferreira, BLAST.
