Natus Vincere

Lore & Background

As an incoming Legend to Katowice 2019, Natus Vincere carried the weight of their previous Major success into the tournament. The source identifies them alongside Astralis, Team Liquid, MIBR, and FaZe Clan as teams that retained their status without needing to play in the New Challengers stage. In the high-stakes environment of the playoffs, they faced ENCE, a team described as an underdog that had already defeated Team Liquid (world number two) earlier in the bracket. The source explicitly states that Natus Vincere was defeated by ENCE during this playoff run. While the text details Astralis sweeping ENCE 2-0 in the final to win their third Major title, it does not specify the exact map score or round-by-round progression of the match where NaVi lost to ENCE.

In Their Own Story

The narrative of Natus Vincere at Katowice 2019 is defined by their clash with the tournament's rising force. They entered the playoffs as the world's number three team, having successfully navigated the group stages. Their first major test in this stage came against ENCE, a squad that had previously knocked out Team Liquid. In this specific matchup, ENCE emerged victorious over Natus Vincere, preventing NaVi from advancing to the grand finals where Astralis would eventually face ENCE. This result highlighted the volatility of the Major, as the underdog ENCE managed to defeat both the world's number two and number three teams before ultimately falling short against the world's number one.

Reader's Guide

For fans following Natus Vincere's path at this event, the source outlines a clear trajectory: they entered as a Legend team, bypassing the New Challengers stage entirely. They competed in the New Legends stage alongside eight other Legends and eight teams from the New Challengers group. Their success there allowed them to reach the New Champions stage, an eight-team single-elimination bracket where they faced ENCE. The source confirms that while they defeated Team Liquid earlier in the playoffs, their run ended with a loss to ENCE. Unlike Astralis, who swept the finals 2-0 to tie Fnatic's record of three Majors, Natus Vincere did not secure a title at this event.

Did You Know?

• Natus Vincere was ranked as the world's number three team at the time of the event.
• They were one of five incoming Legends who received a bye to the second phase of the group stage.
• In the playoffs, they faced ENCE, the same underdog team that had previously defeated the world's number two squad, Team Liquid.