Astralis edge NAVI in three-map thriller to close out IEM Chengdu day one

Astralis edge NAVI in three-map thriller to close out IEM Chengdu day one

Astralis kicked off their IEM Chengdu 2025 campaign with a statement victory, taking down Natus Vincere 2–1 in the final series of Group A’s opening day. The Danes prevailed on Nuke and Inferno, overcoming a stumble on Mirage to move one best-of-three away from securing a playoff berth, while NAVI drop into the lower bracket early.

The series took place in front of a live crowd at the Chengdu Financial City Performing Arts Center, marking the first time ESL has hosted all stages of IEM Chengdu with fans on-site — a notable upgrade from 2024, when group-stage matches were played behind closed doors.

How the series played out

Map veto & context

Astralis chose Nuke, NAVI picked Mirage, and Inferno was left as the decider. The best-of-three served as a Group A upper-bracket quarter-final, making it the first real test for both teams at this event.

Nuke – Astralis 16–13 NAVI

Astralis’ pick became a battle of endurance. NAVI edged the first half 7–5, but the Danes responded with an identical scoreline on the defense to push the map into overtime. There, Astralis pulled ahead 4–1 to take Nuke 16–13 and an early series lead. Nicolai "device" Reedtz led from the front with a 36–23 performance, while Emil "Magisk" Reif posted strong numbers that would carry through the series.

Mirage – NAVI 13–10 Astralis

NAVI answered back on their home turf. After a 6–6 half, Aleksib’s squad tightened their defense, claiming Mirage 13–10 to level the score. Valeriy "b1t" Vakhovskiy was instrumental, topping the series with 59–53 K-D, 81.3 ADR, and a 1.13 rating — the highest in the match.

Inferno – Astralis 16–12 NAVI

The decider was a tense back-and-forth. Both halves ended 6–6, leading to overtime at 12–12. Once again, Astralis thrived under pressure, sweeping the extra rounds 4–0 to close out the series 16–12. Magisk stood tall with a 1.07 overall rating, narrowly ahead of device’s 1.06, as Astralis clinched their opening victory in Chengdu.

What the result means

With the win, Astralis advance in the Group A upper bracket, where they are set to face The MongolZ — who opened their event with a hard-fought 2–1 win over Heroic. NAVI, meanwhile, drop to the lower bracket, where elimination now looms. Group A remains one of the toughest in the tournament, featuring The MongolZ, Falcons, Spirit, paiN, Heroic, and TYLOO, with only three teams earning playoff spots.

The Astralis–NAVI clash was the final match on day one’s schedule, wrapping up an intense opening day at IEM Chengdu 2025.

Day one highlights

Astralis’ win closed out a busy first day in Chengdu that featured several strong performances from tournament favorites:

Group A

The MongolZ beat Heroic 2–1

Spirit swept paiN 2–0

Group B

FURIA defeated Lynn Vision 2–0

MOUZ overcame FaZe 2–0

Vitality edged Virtus.pro 2–1

G2 dispatched 3DMAX 2–0

All matches were played in front of fans, reflecting ESL’s new approach to make IEM Chengdu a fully live experience across every stage.

Astralis’ new identity taking shape

Astralis entered Chengdu as a restructured roster centered around device, joined by HooXi, Magisk, jabbi, and Staehr. The team’s current direction began taking shape at IEM Chengdu 2024, when device assumed in-game leading duties following blameF’s departure. At the time, he emphasized a return to a more classic Astralis playstyle — slower, structured, and role-consistent.

Reflecting on that change, device previously said he “had issues with the way [Astralis] were playing” before the rebuild, describing the old approach as “not a nice way of playing.” The current iteration seems to embody that renewed philosophy, emphasizing adaptability and team chemistry.

The result against NAVI extends Astralis’ success in this rivalry. The Danes previously defeated NAVI 2–1 at BLAST Bounty Season 2, with device posting a stellar 1.47 rating, and also stunned them 2–0 at the BLAST Premier World Final 2024 under cadiaN’s leadership.

NAVI’s ongoing rebuild

For NAVI, the Chengdu loss underscores that their long-term rebuild under Aleksi "Aleksib" Virolainen remains a work in progress. The team has integrated Drin "makazze" Shaqiri into its lineup, and while their debut together at IEM Cologne brought promise, Aleksib has admitted that the squad “put [their] thoughts way above what [they] actually were” after early success.

He has since praised makazze’s resilience, highlighting his strong mentality after a shaky start at Cologne. Still, the team’s inconsistent form throughout 2025 — balancing solid deep runs with early exits — shows there’s more work ahead before NAVI can return to title contention.

Recent storylines and context

IEM Chengdu 2025 features a $300,000 prize pool and a live audience for all matches, marking a milestone for Chinese Counter-Strike fans. The event follows Astralis’ rough showing at PGL Masters Bucharest, where coach Casper "ruggah" Due stood in for device after a medical emergency, contributing to an early exit.

For NAVI, 2025 has been a rollercoaster — flashes of brilliance mixed with rebuilding challenges. Despite the setback in Chengdu, the squad remains determined to find consistency as they continue to refine their identity under Aleksib’s leadership.

Chengdu itself has become a mainstay on the IEM calendar, with 2025’s sold-out crowd reaffirming the city’s growing importance in global Counter-Strike. As Astralis and NAVI set their sights on redemption and resurgence, their early clash in China may prove to be a pivotal chapter in both teams’ ongoing stories.