NAVI Finally Beat Vitality at IEM Atlanta 2026 as b1t Praises iM’s Clutch Round

Natus Vincere (NAVI) finally secured a long-awaited victory over Team Vitality in the playoffs of IEM Atlanta 2026, ending their losing streak against the French powerhouse and advancing to the semi-finals of the CS2 tournament.

After the match, NAVI star Valeriy “b1t” Vakhovskiy praised teammate Mihai “iM” Ivan for delivering one of the most important moments of the series on Anubis.

NAVI Defeat Vitality 2-1 at IEM Atlanta 2026

NAVI defeated Vitality with a 2-1 scoreline in the quarter-finals of Intel Extreme Masters Atlanta 2026. The Ukrainian organization lost Dust2 11-13, but bounced back on Anubis 13-11 before dominating Inferno 13-3 to close the series.

The victory sends NAVI into the semi-finals, where the team will face BetBoom Team for a spot in the grand final.

This was also NAVI’s first win over Vitality after multiple consecutive defeats in previous CS2 events.

b1t Reacts After NAVI Beat Vitality

Following the match, b1t shared his thoughts on social media and highlighted iM’s impact during the decisive moments of Anubis.

“Finally a win against Team Vitality. Amazing round by iM in the most crucial round on Anubis! Wpwp. The crowd is awesome! Long time no see this huge support, thank you! It was a cool and pleasant game. See you tomorrow in the semi-final.”

The statement quickly gained traction among CS2 fans, especially because NAVI had struggled against Vitality throughout the season.

iM Says “The Curse Is Lifted”

NAVI rifler iM also reacted emotionally after the victory.

“The curse is lifted. Finally beat Team Vitality 2-1, ggwp.”

The Romanian player played a key role during the comeback on Anubis, a map that ultimately shifted momentum in NAVI’s favor.

Aleksib: NAVI “Deserved” the Victory

NAVI captain Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen emphasized the importance of finally overcoming Vitality before the upcoming CS2 Major.

According to Aleksib, beating Vitality was critical not only for tournament progression, but also for the team’s confidence moving forward.

“We deserved this win.”

The in-game leader noted that another loss against Vitality could have created additional psychological pressure ahead of future playoff matches and the Major season.

apEX Admits Vitality Were Exhausted

Vitality captain Dan “apEX” Madesclaire admitted after the match that the team looked mentally drained following the defeat.

“Good game, NAVI. Today we lost 1-2. I won’t hide it — I’m exhausted, and so is the team.”

Vitality’s elimination also ended the organization’s impressive streak of consecutive top-four finishes at elite Counter-Strike tournaments.

NAVI End Vitality’s Historic Streak

According to HLTV, NAVI’s victory stopped Vitality’s run of 21 straight top-four finishes, making this one of the most significant playoff upsets of the 2026 CS2 season so far.

NAVI coach Andrey “B1ad3” Gorodenskiy later described the win as a massive confidence boost for the roster ahead of future international events.

IEM Atlanta 2026 Continues

IEM Atlanta 2026 takes place from May 11-17 and features some of the best Counter-Strike 2 teams in the world competing for a massive prize pool and valuable VRS ranking points.

With the victory over Vitality, NAVI remain one of the strongest contenders for the championship title heading into the final stage of the tournament.