Few teams can compare to Natus Vincere's legacy in the world of competitive Counter-Strike. From the game's 1.6 edition until Global Offensive, the brand has been associated with consistency.

When it comes to the CS:GO Majors, the same can be said of Natus Vincere, since it is the only organization to have participated in each and every edition of the Valve-sanctioned competition since the very first one, DreamHack Winter 2013.

Natus Vincere’s Roster Strength

Under the guidance of seasoned coach Andrey #B1ad3, Natus Vincere are a team with several strengths that all work together to build a winning lineup. Gorodenskiy. #electroNic Denis After taking over in-game leadership from Boombl4 earlier this year, Viktor #sdy Sharipov now acts as the group's brain.

Ilya #Perfecto Orudzhev has the ability to change the course of a round with his lurking. Even in the most difficult situations, Zalutskiy maintains his dependability, and Valeriy #b1t Despite his youth, Vakhovskiy's mechanical prowess shines brightly.

The team's superstar AWPer, s1mple, a player who is regarded and feared by the opponent owing to his ability to turn even the most unexpected of circumstances into a victory, is what truly distinguishes Natus Vincere from the competition. The Ukrainian is widely regarded as the greatest player of all time. He has won a record 21 tournament MVP medals, two No. 1 player of the year titles, and two additional No. 2 finishes in the last four years.

The Goals For IEM Rio Major

As one of the favorites to win it all going into Rio, Natus Vincere is eager to reclaim their Major championship. With a victory at the BLAST Spring Final and a runner-up result at IEM Cologne, they cemented their position as a top-two team before the summer break and spent 17 weeks at the top of the rankings in 2022.

The team's primary competitors include the reigning champions FaZe and the ESL Pro League Season 16 champions Vitality, the latter of which is home to Mathieu #ZywOo Herbaut, the only other true individual adversary to s1mple.

As s1mple, electroNic, Perfecto, and b1t all hope to recapture what they lost in Antwerp, the lineup hasn't changed all that much from their winning run at the PGL Major Stockholm, while sdy aims to win his first Major title. ElectroNic and sdy are two team members that have a lot to prove.

After Boombl4 left the active roster, the 24-year-old moved into the in-game captain position and won his first event in that capacity at the BLAST Spring Final with the intention of repeating that success at the Rio Major. On the other hand, sdy has been a trialist with the team since June and is still competing every day for a spot in the starting lineup.

When it comes to Natus Vincere, expectations are usually high. Despite a lackluster ESL Pro League season, they still possess all the necessary elements to compete for the championship in Rio. Natus Vincere benefits greatly from being one of the few teams with a steadfast core and years of success working together in terms of team chemistry. The players must recreate the passion that gave them a taste of success in Stockholm and build on that momentum for another historic Major run now that all the pieces are in their proper positions.