Monte Stuns NAVI in BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 1

Having overcome a year of mixed results, NAVI starts their journey into 2026 with a harrowing defeat at the hands of Monte to kick off their BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 1 campaign. Surprising the community, NAVI has retained its line-up from last year despite heavy criticism, and after this result, it will be hard for fans to keep their faith in the team.

VETO

• Monte removed Ancient
• Natus Vincere removed Overpass
• Monte picked Nuke
• Natus Vincere picked Mirage
• Monte removed Anubis
• Natus Vincere removed Inferno
• Dust2 was left over

Map 1: Nuke; Pick: Monte; Winner: NAVI

A 2-0 start for NAVI on their defense put them in the lead to kick off Nuke before Monte threw them into the backfoot with 3 rounds of their own. From a single-round deficit, NAVI managed to win six more rounds while giving away one, and therefore closed out with a strong 8-4 half before switching sides. Losing the pistol but winning the force buy, Monte started mounting a comeback with 6 rounds in a row and taking the lead away from NAVI. Going 9-10 down, NAVI managed to find their footing by the end of the map and closed out with a tight scoreline of 13-11.

Map 2: Mirage; Pick: NAVI; Winner: Monte

Following a tough map loss, Monte started strong, winning the pistol and the eco that followed. NAVI hit the scoreboard with the first gun round and remained largely dominant for the better part of the first half, with Monte picking up no more than two rounds after the initial two, leading to an 8-4 half. Winning the pistol round on their offense, Monte managed to put together 3 in a row, but NAVI took momentum back as soon as they were about to level the scoreline. Both teams traded rounds with NAVI staying ahead for the better part of the second half before the Monte offense generated 5 rounds in a row to take the series to the final map.

Map 3: Dust2; Pick: Decider; Winner: Monte

Following a stellar win on their opponent’s pick, Monte got off to a 3-0 start before NAVI picked up momentum, winning 6 in a row to take back the lead. Monte’s offense came alive in the final few rounds as the first half closed with a levelled scoreline. With NAVI’s confidence down the drain, Monte put the hammer down in the second half with 6 rounds in a row to hit a series point before NAVI could win a single round. While they managed to win two more rounds, Monte killed the game and closed the series, having secured a memorable win to start 2026.

Several players from NAVI came under criticism for their poor performances throughout 2025, and continuing with the same lineup raised a few eyebrows. 2026 started with yet another unexpected loss, but if the performances from last year are replicated throughout the season, then the legacy of NAVI as an organization might see the same fate as the likes of Astralis and VP.