Natus Vincere's rocky season continued with an unexpected defeat to M80 at BLAST Open Porto, prompting brutally honest reflections from rifler Mihai "iM" Ivan.
When asked about his immediate reaction to the series loss, iM didn't mince words. The team had prepared extensively for the match, particularly focusing on their Mirage strategy. Despite winning the opening map on Anubis, something went wrong on the subsequent maps.
According to iM, the squad knew exactly what they needed to execute on Mirage, but small details derailed their gameplan. Missed timings, incorrect calls at crucial moments, and a devastating full USP loss compounded their problems. The Romanian player admitted feeling frustrated during the match, particularly when timings didn't go his way.
The mental aspect proved puzzling even to iM himself. He questioned why the team performed well on Anubis but collapsed on Mirage and Inferno. One theory he floated was potential underestimation of M80 after securing the first map, which prevented them from regaining momentum.
Regarding recent revelations from coach Andrey "B1ad3" Gorodenskiy about attempted roster changes during the off-season, iM remained dismissive of any negative impact. The team had discussed potential moves extensively before management decided to maintain the current lineup. He firmly believes no player would alter their performance based on knowing they were on the chopping block.
Looking ahead to the lower bracket, iM emphasized the importance of bouncing back. With VRS points slipping away after losses to lower-ranked opponents like Legacy and M80, NAVI desperately needs to rebuild confidence not just for BLAST, but for upcoming tournaments as well.
