Pimp Warns NAVI Risk Ending 2026 Without More Trophies After BLAST Open Exit

Counter-Strike analyst Jacob “Pimp” Winneche has raised serious concerns about NAVI’s current trajectory, arguing that the team has gone from looking capable of challenging the world’s best to being in danger of finishing the rest of 2026 without another trophy.

Pimp made the comments following NAVI’s elimination from BLAST Open Porto 2026, where Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen’s lineup recovered from an opening defeat to M80 but ultimately fell 0-2 to G2 in the lower bracket. The result followed another early exit at the Esports World Cup and continued a difficult period after the IEM Cologne Major.

 

Quick Summary

 

What Did Pimp Say About NAVI?

NAVI are facing renewed scrutiny after another difficult tournament run in the second half of 2026.

 

Pimp’s assessment goes beyond NAVI simply having a poor tournament.

According to the Danish analyst, the worrying part is how dramatically expectations around the team have changed within a relatively short period.

Pimp said he had started to become seriously concerned about NAVI. Only months earlier, he viewed the team as one of the primary candidates to challenge Vitality at the Cologne Major. Now, he believes NAVI could find themselves struggling to add further championships.

A central part of his criticism concerns NAVI’s individual firepower.

Pimp specifically highlighted Drin “makazze” Shaqiri. He argued that makazze had previously shown the ability to become a difference-maker but recently looked more like a solid contributor rather than somebody capable of taking over elite-level matches.

That distinction matters.

NAVI still possess an experienced tactical structure under Aleksib and coach Andrii “B1ad3” Gorodenskyi, but systems alone become considerably harder to execute when opponents consistently win decisive individual duels.

Pimp believes NAVI may need significant changes

Pimp also revisited NAVI’s decision not to make further changes during the summer break.

He acknowledged that B1ad3 had previously explained the reasoning behind maintaining the lineup, but suggested that the consequences of that decision may now be becoming clearer.

While Pimp believes B1ad3 is capable of helping NAVI recover, he increasingly doubts that the turnaround will happen without more substantial changes.

Importantly, this is Pimp’s analysis rather than confirmation that NAVI intends to change its roster.

As of publication, no roster move resulting from the BLAST Open elimination has been announced.

 

Why Pimp Is Worried About NAVI

NAVI’s recent results have raised questions over whether the team can rediscover the level required to consistently challenge for tier-one trophies.

 

The concern is easier to understand when NAVI’s recent tournaments are viewed together rather than individually.

Their August campaign began positively enough at the Esports World Cup, including victories over 3DMAX and The MongolZ. But NAVI were then eliminated by Legacy in a one-sided 0-2 series.

The same instability appeared at BLAST Open Porto.

NAVI opened against M80 and comfortably took Anubis 13-4. Instead of converting that advantage, however, they lost Mirage and Inferno by identical 6-13 scores to fall into the lower bracket.

A 2-0 victory over paiN kept their tournament alive, but G2 stopped the recovery with victories on Ancient and Inferno.

That produced NAVI’s second consecutive group-stage exit.

 

NAVI Recent Timeline

Sources for results and scheduling:

Historical comparison: from IEM Atlanta champions to August struggles

Pimp's warning should not be interpreted as saying NAVI have been trophyless throughout 2026.

NAVI won IEM Atlanta 2026, defeating GamerLegion 3-0 in the grand final on May 17. Their playoff run also included victories over Vitality and BetBoom.

That makes the current situation more notable.

Only a few months separate a tournament-winning NAVI from a lineup that has now suffered consecutive group-stage exits.

The question is therefore not whether this roster has demonstrated championship potential. It has.

The question is whether NAVI can rediscover it consistently.

 

Current NAVI CS2 Roster

NAVI's official team page currently lists the following lineup:

No post-BLAST roster change has been officially confirmed.

 

The makazze Question

Drin “makazze” Shaqiri remains an important part of NAVI’s current project as the team searches for more consistent individual impact.

 

Pimp's decision to single out makazze provides the most interesting competitive angle to his comments.

The issue is not necessarily whether makazze belongs in NAVI's lineup. Pimp's argument is more about what NAVI require from players occupying high-impact positions.

NAVI's official roster identifies the 19-year-old as the team's entry player.

Entry players frequently operate under difficult conditions: they can be asked to create space, take unfavorable opening fights and enable teammates rather than simply maximize their own statistics.

That means any evaluation based purely on scoreboard numbers would be incomplete.

Pimp's criticism instead focuses on match-winning impact — whether NAVI have enough players capable of changing rounds and series through individual initiative when their tactical structure stops producing clean advantages.

Tactical impact

This creates a broader problem for NAVI.

A structured team can become predictable if opponents believe that surviving the initial tactical layer is enough to win rounds.

Elite championship teams generally have several possible escape routes:

an AWPer producing an opening kill;

a rifler winning a disadvantaged duel;

an entry player breaking a defensive setup;

a late-round player converting an unfavorable clutch;

or an individual producing a multi-kill that disrupts the opponent's economy.

Pimp's criticism suggests NAVI currently lack enough consistent high-level individual takeover performances.

That is analysis rather than a confirmed internal assessment from NAVI.

 

What the G2 Loss Revealed

G2 ended NAVI’s BLAST Open Porto campaign with a 2-0 victory, winning Ancient 13-6 before closing Inferno 13-10.

 

The elimination series provides useful context.

G2 defeated NAVI 13-6 on Ancient and 13-10 on Inferno. HeavyGod finished the series with a 1.61 HLTV Rating 3.0, while NAVI's iM led his team with 1.10.

NAVI's individual ratings in the series were:

Those numbers describe one series, not the overall quality of the players.

But they illustrate the problem behind Pimp's argument: against strong opposition, NAVI cannot afford multiple core players simultaneously having limited impact.

 

Why This Matters for NAVI

NAVI are not being evaluated like an emerging team trying to establish itself at tier-one level.

They are expected to contend for championships.

The organization has already demonstrated that this lineup framework can produce trophies, including its IEM Atlanta victory. That raises the standard against which subsequent tournament results are judged.

There is also a difference between losing deep in playoffs and repeatedly failing to reach them.

Pimp specifically pointed toward the combination of NAVI's Cologne, EWC and BLAST results as the point where concern becomes justified.

Tournament impact

The BLAST elimination means NAVI will not compete in the Porto playoffs.

More importantly, their second consecutive group-stage exit removes another opportunity to test the roster against elite opposition in high-pressure playoff matches.

That leaves preparation and the next tournament increasingly important.

 

Impact Analysis

Short term: NAVI need to identify whether their recent problems are primarily individual form, tactical execution, confidence, or some combination of the three.

Medium term: The pressure on B1ad3 and the existing five-player lineup will increase if early eliminations continue.

Roster implications: There is currently no confirmed roster move. Pimp's comments represent analyst opinion, not evidence that NAVI management has decided to replace a player.

Ranking/VRS implications: NAVI were listed by HLTV at No. 8 in its world ranking and No. 9 in the Valve ranking on the latest available team snapshot. Ranking positions change over time and should be refreshed before publication if the article is updated.

 

What Changes Now?

The immediate answer appears to be nothing officially.

NAVI have not announced a roster move following the BLAST Open exit.

Instead, they have a preparation window before their next tournament.

Aleksib acknowledged after losing to G2 that the team's level had not been good enough and said NAVI needed to find a way out of their current situation. He also pointed to the frustration of working intensely for six weeks only to suffer early exits at two tournaments.

That makes the coming preparation period especially significant.

NAVI’s official CS2 vlog offers a closer look at the current lineup and the competitive environment surrounding the team during the 2026 season.

 

What to Watch Next

1. StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026

HLTV reported that NAVI's next scheduled appearance is StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026, beginning September 17.

Opponent: TBD

That event should provide the first indication of whether NAVI can turn their recent form around.

2. makazze's individual impact

Because Pimp explicitly identified makazze as part of his analysis, the entry player's performances will receive additional scrutiny.

The important question will be whether he can again provide the game-changing rounds Pimp believes NAVI have recently been missing.

3. w0nderful and b1t

One poor series should never define a player's form, but NAVI need reliable output across several positions if they want to challenge championship-level teams consistently.

4. B1ad3's response

Pimp still identified B1ad3 as the person he believes is capable of fixing the situation.

Whether the solution comes through tactical adjustments, role changes, preparation or eventually personnel decisions remains unknown.

5. Any roster developments

No move is confirmed.

If NAVI struggle again at their next events, however, external discussion around roster changes is likely to intensify.

 

FAQ

What did Pimp say about NAVI?

Pimp said he had become seriously worried about NAVI's trajectory. He argued that the team had gone from looking capable of challenging for major titles to being at risk of going without further trophies, with insufficient individual takeover potential among his main concerns.

Did Pimp call for NAVI to change its roster?

Not explicitly as a confirmed prescription. He said he increasingly felt NAVI might not solve its problems without significant changes, while also expressing hope that his assessment would prove wrong.

Is makazze being removed from NAVI?

There is no confirmed information that NAVI are removing makazze. Pimp criticized his recent level, but analyst commentary should not be treated as a roster report.

Who eliminated NAVI from BLAST Open Porto 2026?

G2 eliminated NAVI with a 2-0 victory, winning Ancient 13-6 and Inferno 13-10.

When will NAVI play next?

Their next reported event is StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026, scheduled to begin September 17. Their specific opening opponent is TBD based on the sources checked for this article.