Natus Vincere

Founding and Early Dominance in Counter-Strike

Natus Vincere was formed in December 2009, originally named Arbalet UA, built around a Counter-Strike team. The founding roster included Ioann Edward Sukharev, Yegor markeloff Markelov, Sergey starix Ischuk, Arsenij ceh9 Trinozhenko, and Danylo Zeus Teslenko. The organization's abbreviated name, Na'Vi, was inspired by the film Avatar and chosen through a fan competition. The team's rise was rapid. In 2010, they secured the highest accolade in Ukrainian esports by winning the Electronic Sports World Cup, a first for any CIS team. They followed this by becoming world champions at the World Cyber Games later that year. This made Natus Vincere the first team ever to hold the three most prestigious championship titles at once, the Intel Extreme Masters, ESWC, and WCG.

The year 2010 was a period of record-breaking success. After winning DreamHack Winter 2010, the team set a new record for annual prize money earned by a team, winning $220,000. Individual players were also recognized globally, with markeloff ranked as the world's best player by HLTV.org, and three other Na'Vi players placed in the top five. The team defended their Intel Extreme Masters title in Hannover in early 2011, confirming their status as the world's best.

The s1mple Era and CS:GO Major Victory

After a period of strong performances, including a victory at Intel Extreme Masters San Jose in 2015 and a runner-up finish at the MLG Columbus 2016 Major, Natus Vincere entered a new phase. In August 2016, the organization signed the Ukrainian sniper Oleksandr s1mple Kostyliev. His arrival marked the beginning of a new chapter. The team quickly won ESL One New York 2016 and later triumphed at ESL One Cologne 2018. A major roster rebuild in 2019 saw the retirement of captain Zeus and the return of star AWPer Ladislav GuardiaN Kovács, though the latter was later replaced.

The rebuilt squad, featuring s1mple, Valeriy b1t Vakhovskiy, and Denis electronic Sharipov, reached its top level in 2021. That year, Natus Vincere became the third team ever to complete the Intel Grand Slam, a feat requiring wins at four specific elite tournaments. The crowning achievement came in November 2021 when NAVI won their first CS:GO Major at PGL Stockholm, defeating G2 Esports in the final. They ended the year by winning the BLAST Premier World Final, keeping their position as the number one team in the world.

Adapting to Crisis and Transition to CS2

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 presented major challenges. Natus Vincere cut ties with its Russian holding company, ESForce. The organization's CEO expressed hope that the Russia-based players on the roster would relocate. The team reached the final of the PGL Major Antwerp 2022 but lost to FaZe Clan. Shortly after, Russian player Kirill Boombl4 Mikhaylov was removed from the active roster due to high reputational risks for the club. Other Russian players, electronic and Perfecto, relocated.

Despite the upheaval, NAVI showed resilience. With stand-in Viktor sdy Orudzhev, they won the BLAST Premier Spring Final in Lisbon. The team later reached the grand final of IEM Cologne 2022, narrowly losing to FaZe Clan in a match that decided the world's number one ranking. In 2023, NAVI moved to a more international roster, bringing in players from Finland, Lithuania, and Romania to play alongside s1mple and b1t. Later in the year, s1mple announced a break from competition.

Triumph in the CS2 Era

The new era of Counter-Strike 2 began with a historic victory for NAVI. On 31 March 2024, with s1mple on a loan to another team, the international NAVI roster won the first ever CS2 Major Championship at PGL Copenhagen. They defeated their long-time rivals FaZe Clan in the final, with Justinas jL Lekavičius named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. This major win began a consistent year for the team.

Following the major, NAVI appeared in six consecutive grand finals at top-tier events in 2024. They won three of these tournaments, the Esports World Cup 2024, ESL Pro League Season 20, and IEM Rio 2024. Their consistency and trophy haul across the season earned Natus Vincere the prestigious title of HLTV Team of the Year for 2024.

The Dota 2 Division and International Glory

Natus Vincere's success extended beyond Counter-Strike. The organization formed a Dota squad in late 2010, quickly assembling a roster of top Ukrainian talent. After some initial changes, the team was set around players like Danil Dendi Ishutin and captain Ivan Artstyle Antonov. A key roster shift in June 2011 brought in Clement Puppey Ivanov and Dmitriy LighTofHeaveN Kupriyanov.

This lineup was invited to the inaugural The International Dota 2 championship in August 2011. The tournament featured a then-unprecedented prize pool of $1.6 million. Natus Vincere emerged victorious, defeating Chinese team EHOME in the grand finals to claim the $1 million first prize. This victory at the very first International confirmed NAVI's status as a leading team in multiple esports titles from its earliest days.

Organization and Global Presence

From its Kyiv headquarters, Natus Vincere has grown into a multi-title global esports organization. Beyond its flagship Counter-Strike and Dota 2 divisions, NAVI fields teams in numerous other games. The organization has secured partnered and franchised spots in major leagues, including the VALORANT Champions Tour EMEA, the Mobile Legends Professional League Indonesia, and the League of Legends EMEA Championship.

The organization has also engaged in community and commercial activities within Ukraine, such as cooperating with equipment producer Hator to co-organize esports events across 22 Ukrainian cities in 2021. Through competitive success, strategic league partnerships, and resilience during a national crisis, Natus Vincere has maintained its status as one of the most recognizable and accomplished brands in esports.