arT: “We know the level of CS and the potential we have” after NAVI rout

Legacy captain Andrei “arT” Piovezan believes his team has a clear understanding of its ceiling despite an uneven start to the second half of the season, with a dominant victory over Natus Vincere providing their strongest result yet with Santino “try” Rigal in the lineup.

The Brazilian side swept NAVI 2-0 at the Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris, winning Inferno 13-9 before dismantling Ancient 13-2 to book a quarter-final against reigning Major champions Falcons. The result also carried some history: NAVI had beaten Legacy on exactly the same two maps at the IEM Cologne Major in June.

For arT, however, the bigger point was not proving critics wrong after Legacy's success in China or attaching too much importance to one victory. His focus remains on the level the team can reach as its revamped roster settles around try.

Quick Context

Detail	Information
Player	Andrei “arT” Piovezan
Team	Legacy
Role	Captain / rifler
Event	Esports World Cup 2026
Location	Paris, France
Match	Legacy 2-0 Natus Vincere
Maps	Inferno 13-9, Ancient 13-2
Next opponent	Falcons
Main storyline	Legacy's progress with try and a quarter-final against the reigning Major champions

The Esports World Cup runs from August 12-23 in Paris, with its playoffs played as a single-elimination bracket. Legacy entered the quarter-finals after eliminating NAVI, while Falcons advanced with a 2-0 victory over The MongolZ.

Legacy turn the Cologne result around

There was an obvious comparison between Legacy's victory in Paris and their meeting with NAVI at the IEM Cologne Major.

On June 12, NAVI swept Legacy 2-0, taking Inferno 13-4 and Ancient 13-10. Two months later, the same maps produced almost the exact opposite story. Legacy raced to a 10-2 advantage on Inferno before surviving NAVI's attempt to recover, then repeated that 10-2 opening half on Ancient and closed the map immediately after the break.

arT pointed to preparation and the veto as important parts of the turnaround. Legacy expected Ancient from NAVI, but Dust2's removal and the possibility of Cache created a veto neither side appeared to have fully anticipated.

More importantly, Legacy consistently put themselves into favorable situations. Even when Ihor “w0nderful” Zhdanov found individual rounds that briefly kept NAVI alive on Inferno, arT felt his team was generating enough advantages for the result to follow if they maintained their approach.

That assessment was backed up emphatically on Ancient. Vinicius “n1ssim” Pereira produced the standout individual map of the series, finishing with 23 kills, 151.9 ADR and a 2.91 HLTV Rating 3.0 as Legacy closed the map 13-2.

Why the NAVI win matters

Legacy have already shown this year that their ceiling extends beyond regional competition.

Their most notable trophy came at the CS Asia Championships in May, where they defended their title by beating Falcons 3-1 in the grand final. They also placed third at IEM Atlanta before reaching Stage 3 of the IEM Cologne Major.

The problem has been turning those peaks into sustained results against the strongest opposition.

That is why arT pushed back against the idea that Legacy need one particular result to validate themselves. He said the team already understands both its standard of Counter-Strike and the potential within the lineup; outside perception, in his view, will naturally move with results.

The 2-0 against NAVI gives that argument more weight. It came against an established top-level opponent, in a single-elimination playoff match, and with Legacy still working through changes to their system.

try is delivering before Legacy are fully synchronized

The largest difference between the Legacy that won CAC and the team competing in Paris is at AWP.

Legacy officially signed try on July 11, with Guilherme “saadzin” Pacheco moving to Imperial as part of the roster change. The Argentine AWPer joined arT, dumau, latto and n1ssim in the active five, while Alan “adrrr” Riveros remained behind the team as coach.

The Esports World Cup is Legacy's first tournament with that version of the lineup, and arT made clear that the transition is still incomplete.

Some maps require try to occupy positions he was not accustomed to playing before the move. Legacy have also had to redistribute responsibilities that previously belonged to saadzin, while communication and reactions in unfamiliar situations are still being refined.

What has made the adjustment easier is try's individual level. The 21-year-old has been able to produce impact even when the team's protocols around him are not yet automatic. HLTV listed him with a 1.19 Rating 3.0 across his first seven maps with Legacy at the time of the interview.

That gives Legacy room to improve without needing immediate structural perfection. arT's comments suggest the priority is not redesigning the team around a star AWPer overnight, but gradually finding the positions and responsibilities that allow try to play naturally while preserving the system around him.

From saadzin to try

arT resisted treating the change as a straightforward upgrade.

saadzin was part of the Legacy roster that won two consecutive CAC titles and had spent more than two years with the organization before leaving for Imperial. try offers a different individual profile, but incorporating him means changing pieces of a structure that had already produced tournament wins.

That distinction matters when judging Legacy's current level.

The team that beat Falcons in Shanghai had already developed chemistry around saadzin. The lineup now facing Falcons in Paris has more firepower available from the AWP position, but substantially less shared experience.

For arT, the immediate objective is therefore improvement rather than setting a fixed minimum result for the new roster. EWC is the first real test of how quickly Legacy can make the pieces work together.

Falcons offer the clearest possible benchmark

Legacy's reward for eliminating NAVI is arguably their most revealing matchup yet.

Falcons are currently No. 1 in HLTV's world ranking and arrive in the quarter-finals after sweeping The MongolZ. More importantly, Finn “karrigan” Andersen's team are the reigning Major champions after beating FURIA 3-0 in the IEM Cologne 2026 grand final in June.

Legacy know them well.

The teams actually met twice at the CS Asia Championships. Falcons won their first series 2-0 in the upper-bracket final, taking Dust2 13-7 and Ancient 13-9. Legacy then turned the matchup around in the best-of-five grand final two days later.

Falcons edged Nuke 13-11 to open that title match, but Legacy responded with victories on Ancient, Mirage and Dust2 to win the series 3-1 and retain the CAC trophy.

The rematch comes under very different circumstances.

Falcons have since won the Cologne Major and established themselves at the top of the rankings. Legacy, meanwhile, have changed AWPers and are only beginning to build their new system around try.

arT expects Falcons to be better prepared than the team Legacy defeated in Shanghai. His answer for that improvement is straightforward: Legacy need to “play our best CS, impose our style” rather than allow Falcons to dictate the series.

That may be the most revealing part of arT's outlook. Legacy are not approaching the matchup as a team hoping the favorite has an off day. Their captain wants them to actively contest control of the game.

Head-to-head: Legacy vs Falcons

Recent meetings give both teams something useful to draw from, but they should not be treated as a perfect guide to the EWC quarter-final.

At CAC 2026:

• May 22: Falcons 2-0 Legacy — Dust2 13-7, Ancient 13-9.
• May 24: Legacy 3-1 Falcons — Nuke 11-13, Ancient 13-9, Mirage 13-6, Dust2 13-6.

The biggest caveat is Legacy's AWPer change. saadzin played both Shanghai series, while try will face Falcons in Paris.

Falcons' trajectory has also changed significantly since May. Their current five of karrigan, NiKo, TeSeS, m0NESY and kyousuke went on to win the Cologne Major and entered EWC as the world's No. 1 team on HLTV.

The old matchup therefore provides useful tactical history, but current form and Legacy's ability to integrate try are more relevant than the raw head-to-head score.

Interesting Facts

• Legacy's 2-0 against NAVI reversed their Cologne Major defeat on the same two maps: Inferno and Ancient.
• n1ssim recorded a 2.91 Rating 3.0 on Ancient in the EWC series, finishing the 13-2 win with 23 kills.
• try officially joined Legacy on July 11 as saadzin moved in the opposite direction to Imperial.
• Legacy defeated Falcons 3-1 to win the CS Asia Championships 2026 after losing 0-2 to them earlier at the same tournament.
• Falcons became Major champions by sweeping FURIA 3-0 in the IEM Cologne 2026 grand final.
• EWC 2026 features a single-elimination playoff bracket, leaving no second chance for the loser of the Legacy-Falcons quarter-final.

What Comes Next?

Legacy face Falcons in the Esports World Cup quarter-finals on August 21.

For Legacy, the series is both an opportunity and a useful measurement of where the new roster stands. Beating NAVI showed that their best Counter-Strike has survived the personnel change, but Falcons present a different level of pressure: the world's top-ranked team, the reigning Major champions, and an opponent with direct motivation after losing the CAC final.

The tactical question will be whether Legacy can impose the proactive style arT wants while keeping try comfortable inside a system that is still being rebuilt around him.

A win would send Legacy into the EWC semi-finals and add another elite opponent to an increasingly strong list of victories in 2026. A loss would end their Paris run, but the NAVI series has already provided evidence that the new lineup can compete before its communication and role distribution are fully settled.

FAQ

Who is arT?

Andrei “arT” Piovezan is a Brazilian Counter-Strike player and the captain of Legacy. He joined the organization in February 2026.

What did arT say after Legacy beat NAVI?

arT emphasized that Legacy already understand their potential and should focus on improving their own Counter-Strike rather than reacting to outside criticism. He also discussed the team's ongoing adaptation to new AWPer try.

What happened in Legacy vs NAVI at EWC 2026?

Legacy won 2-0, taking Inferno 13-9 and Ancient 13-2 to reach the Esports World Cup quarter-finals. n1ssim was the standout player on Ancient with a 2.91 map rating.

Who does Legacy play next?

Legacy face Falcons in the EWC 2026 quarter-finals on August 21. Falcons are the reigning IEM Cologne Major champions and currently sit No. 1 in HLTV's world ranking.

Have Legacy and Falcons played before?

Yes. Falcons beat Legacy 2-0 during the group stage of CAC 2026, but Legacy won their rematch 3-1 in the grand final to take the trophy. The upcoming EWC series will feature try instead of saadzin in Legacy's lineup.