Natus Vincere opened their PGL Masters Bucharest 2026 run with a hard-fought win over G2, but Mihai "iM" Ivan was quick to keep expectations in check. For the Romanian rifler, the result mattered beyond the bracket: it also pushed NAVI closer to the points and form they need in the race for the Major.
The series itself was close enough to underline his point. Both maps were decided by the smallest margins, and NAVI had to work through a difficult opener before leaving with the victory. Afterward, iM described the win as a relief, but not as a reason to relax.
NAVI get the start they needed
NAVI’s victory over G2 gave them an important boost in Bucharest and added 83 Valve points to their tally. That rise moved them ten places up to 23rd in the global VRS, while HLTV’s latest projections now place their Major qualification chances at 98 percent.
That context explains why the win drew so much attention, but iM rejected the idea that the pressure is weighing on the team. According to him, NAVI know their level and are focusing on the things they can control rather than the wider race around them.
He pointed to the team’s recent improvement as evidence. In his view, NAVI have already shown more in their recent run at EPL than many outside observers may have expected, even if that event also included losses to Vitality, PARIVISION and Falcons.
Lessons from EPL still matter
iM’s comments suggested that NAVI are treating recent setbacks as part of their process rather than as signs of panic. He singled out the loss to PARIVISION as the most frustrating one, saying that the map was there for the taking and that NAVI let too many rounds slip away on Cache.
That is why he framed the Bucharest event as more than just another tournament. Making playoffs, he said, would simplify the team’s path into the Major and reduce the amount of uncertainty around their calendar.
The message was not that NAVI have solved everything, but that they have learned enough to understand where they went wrong. For a team trying to balance immediate results with long-term qualification goals, that balance matters as much as the scoreboard.
No room for complacency after G2
Even with the win in hand, iM warned against reading too much into one result. He said NAVI had started a previous event well before things became more complicated, and he does not want the team to repeat that pattern here.
That caution fits the way he spoke about the G2 series itself. Dust2, he said, was especially difficult, and the team had to adapt as the game unfolded. NAVI were not fully comfortable early on, and they had to work through unfamiliar positions and late-round pressure before finally getting the job done.
The overall takeaway was simple: the win was welcome, but it does not change NAVI’s mindset. The team still sees the rest of the event as a chance to stabilize and secure a better path forward.
What comes next for NAVI
iM also gave a brief glimpse into NAVI’s planning around future events. He noted that the team already knows part of what comes next and mentioned that if they fail to secure their current goals, they have a LAN event in Portugal lined up.
He did not go into full detail about the schedule, but the priorities were clear enough. First comes the push for playoffs in Bucharest. After that, NAVI will decide how to handle the rest of their commitments, including the broader Major picture and the need for more LAN wins.
For fans, the message is straightforward: NAVI are not treating one close win as a finished story. For the team, the practical goal is still to turn early success into playoff security, because that would make the final stretch toward the Major much easier to manage.
