Gentle Mates beat Natus Vincere 2-0 during the second VCT EMEA group week. Sunset stayed close before Haven ended more quickly.
starxo led the series in kills. Gentle Mates won both selected maps.
Sunset stays level through long periods
NAVI selected Sunset as the first map. Gentle Mates answered with a stable defence during the opening half.
The teams reached several tied scores before either side gained separation. Neither lineup produced an early run of easy rounds.
Gentle Mates moved ahead through stronger late-round decisions. Their players saved abilities for the final bomb-site fights.
NAVI still reached ten rounds and threatened to extend the map. Gentle Mates then closed the final defensive sequence.
The 13-10 opener lasted more than one hour. It gave Gentle Mates a valuable win on NAVI’s selection.
starxo and marteen recorded many of the team’s kills. Their pressure limited NAVI’s recovery attempts.
Gentle Mates build a larger lead on Haven
Gentle Mates had chosen Haven during the veto. They entered the map with a one-series lead.
Both teams won rounds during the opening half. Gentle Mates still led before the side change.
Their attack found repeated openings around Haven. NAVI struggled to protect all three sites.
Gentle Mates reached match point with room to spare. They closed Haven 13-7 after forty-one minutes.
Gentle Mates won their selected map by six rounds.
Gentle Mates therefore won on the opponent’s pick and their own. The second success required less time.
starxo leads a balanced winning lineup
starxo recorded twenty-four kills across the series. His best moments arrived during important conversion rounds.
marteen added another strong total during opening duels. Proxh supported both maps with well-timed abilities.
bipo and Kicks completed the lineup with useful assists and supporting kills. Every Gentle Mates player contributed to both map wins.
NAVI found isolated advantages through ExiT and chloric. Those rounds did not become a complete map victory.
The winners finished more low-player situations. That difference appeared clearly during the end of Sunset.
Haven showed the same control with a wider score. Gentle Mates converted early damage before NAVI could reset.
The map choices create two different tests
NAVI banned Lotus before the teams selected their maps. Gentle Mates removed Split from the available pool.
NAVI then chose Sunset and Gentle Mates selected Haven. Breeze and Summit disappeared during the second ban phase.
| Series | Gentle Mates 2-0 Natus Vincere |
|---|---|
| Sunset | 13-10 |
| Haven | 13-7 |
| Leading player | starxo |
Sunset required slower attacks through narrow entrances.
Haven offered three sites and faster movement between them.
Gentle Mates handled both layouts with the same five-player lineup.
NAVI stayed closest during their own Sunset selection.
Gentle Mates add a useful group win
Stage 2 continues beyond this match for both teams. The result adds one series victory to Gentle Mates’ group record.
Round difference may also matter when teams finish level. Gentle Mates ended the day nine rounds ahead overall.
NAVI collected seventeen rounds but no map. Their strongest resistance came during the opening Sunset game.
Gentle Mates won the final rounds on Sunset before controlling Haven.
NAVI’s strongest resistance came during the opening map.
The victory improves Gentle Mates’ position inside the group.
Gentle Mates close both maps after strong late rounds
NAVI recovered several rounds after weak starts on Sunset.
Gentle Mates saved more abilities for the final seconds after planting the spike.
Gentle Mates won the opponent’s map by three rounds.
On Haven, Gentle Mates moved quickly between the three sites.
NAVI’s defenders often arrived after Gentle Mates had secured safer post-plant positions.
starxo added kills during the moments that decided both map endings.
marteen led direct attacks that created room for the players behind him.
His teammates followed closely and traded the first kills.
NAVI reached seventeen rounds across the series but never controlled an entire map.
Gentle Mates leave the week with two map wins and a positive round difference.
The series becomes clearer on Haven
NAVI remained competitive during the long opening map on Sunset.
Gentle Mates won the final rounds after several earlier tied scores.
Gentle Mates built a wider lead during the second map.
Gentle Mates moved between Haven’s three sites with better timing.
NAVI often retook sites after Gentle Mates had planted the Spike.
The winners then protected their advantage by answering every early death.
Sunset stayed close, while Gentle Mates controlled Haven more comfortably.
Both map wins count toward the same EMEA group-stage victory.
The result also gives Gentle Mates useful separation inside the group.
The winners solve both map choices
Gentle Mates first took Sunset after NAVI had selected it.
They followed by protecting their own Haven choice with a wider margin.
The two results show control across different map layouts.
