NAVI advance to PGL Masters Bucharest 2026 playoffs

The NAVI CS2 team have secured a spot in the PGL Masters Bucharest 2026 playoffs, finishing the group stage with a 3–2 record. In the deciding match, the Born to Win pulled off a stunning 2 : 1 victory over Spirit, the world's top-ranked team according to HLTV.org.

The playoffs will take place from October 29 to 31, featuring a single-elimination bracket with a separate third-place match.

The Born to Win kicked off their campaign in Romania with a 2 : 0 victory over G2. However, the second map proved to be a close contest, requiring three overtimes to determine the winner.

Their next opponent was FURIA, who were ranked third in the world by both Valve and HLTV.org at the time. Despite struggling against the Brazilians in their previous encounters throughout the year, NAVI delivered a convincing performance this time around. The Born to Win first secured their map pick, Ancient (13 : 10), before closing out Dust II (13 : 5), largely thanks to an outstanding performance from Aleksib, who finished the map with a 1.66 rating.

In the third round, NAVI faced BB, who had previously defeated Spirit and Nemiga. However, the team failed to secure an early playoff spot, as their opponents came out on top on Dust II (10 : 13) and Nuke (9 : 13), winning the series 2 : 0.

The following match against Vitality also did not go the Born to Win's way. NAVI lost Inferno (2 : 13) and Dust II (9 : 13), suffering their second consecutive defeat and dropping into the 2–2 bracket.

In the must-win decider, NAVI faced Spirit, who occupied the top spot in the HLTV.org world rankings. Despite facing the world's number one team, the Born to Win pulled off a stunning 2 : 1 victory to secure their place in the playoffs.

After two consecutive defeats, the team managed to bounce back and defeat one of the tournament's main favourites. The PGL Masters Bucharest 2026 playoffs are now ahead. Cheer for NAVI!