Natus Vincere is the winners of ESL Pro League Season 23, capping off an impressive run after a series of poor performances throughout the entirety of 2025. Claiming victory against an in-form Aurora side, NAVI proved to fans that they are back, and this victory will not only reinstate self-belief but also act as a benchmark for what this team can achieve if given time.
While it was difficult to explicitly predict a winner with both teams struggling to close matches as witnessed in past events, it was NAVI who stood out as the better team on the day, as Aurora failed to edge out against a brilliant NAVI side. The CIS roster has once again demonstrated that they remain among the elite teams in Counter-Strike esports despite a prolonged drop in form.
Having lost to the likes of Legacy and G2, NAVI were expected to bow out in the Group Stages before they picked up form to narrowly qualify for the playoffs. Beating MongolZ in a close affair, followed by domination of an in-form FUT side, NAVI built their confidence at every step before playing their best Counter-Strike in recent memory at the Grand Finals.
Aurora, meanwhile, deserves credit for an impressive tournament campaign. The squad battled through a competitive field to reach the grand final and showed flashes of the firepower and resilience that have made them one of the rising teams in the current Counter-Strike landscape. Despite falling short in the final, their deep run highlights the progress the team has made on the international stage.
Credit where it’s due, Aurora played a tough game, beating the likes of Astralis, G2, and Legacy, showing why they were the best team for the majority of the tournament before NAVI wiped the floor with them in the Grand Finals.
One can argue that NAVI reigned supreme while the likes of Falcons and Vitality are skipping the event, but the eye test tells that they are playing some of the best Counter-Strike that they have played in a long time. Blad3, for one, has done it again with his team building skills and tactical depth to find a winning formula for NAVI yet again.
