ESL Pro League Season 18 final highlights

20:26 | NER0cs

Consistency throughout and especially strong performances as MOUZ ran past four top ten sides in a row helped Ádám "⁠torzsi⁠" Torzsás claim his first-ever HLTV x 1xBet MVP.

20:16 | NER0cs

Aleksib: "It felt like waving the white flag in the first two maps"

Aleksib on stream: "We felt like we only played Mirage as a team, hyping each other up and trying to emerge with the game and not let emotions bother us. It felt like waving the white flag in the first two maps, They were better prepared, they didn't let that happen to them."

"We made a couple of mistakes and it felt like we were enemies with each other in the team. That's crucial in a final, everything goes wrong. We couldn't dig ourselves out of it."

On Jimpphat: "sergej never had nerves, and neither does Jimpphat. Its just a shame the game is changing I feel like they could do even more damage in CS2."

On CS2: "We spent a long time boot camping for this event. First of all it's individual practice and to get the hang of the game. Then its the hardest we can go for Sydney."

20:09 | NER0cs

xertioN: "We've had a winning mentality since day one"

xertioN on stream: "I'm excited to have my teammates back with me alongside one of the best riflers in the world [in frozen], for me he is the best."

On the NXT journey: "It's about the people, we have a really good core. We've had a winning mentality since day one. We have this aura where we go game by game but we know what we are capable of. It's the best teams in the world that we have beat, I'm happy to be a part of it."

On CS2: "Hell yeah [we're here to stay]. I don't think we are the best team in the world tactically, we are just having fun. Other teams give up, but we don't."

On torzsi: "torzsi had a tough year but he is doing incredible. Before you wanted him to be confident, now you kind of want to put him on a leash."

20:02 | NER0cs

Watch: MOUZ lift the EPL S18 trophy

It's been a long journey for the MOUZ NXT core. But here they are, the four youngsters lifting the first Big Event trophy of their careers.

David "⁠frozen⁠" Čerňanský is the veteran, and his win at EPL Season 10 helped kick-start his career. Here is he grabbing another.

19:57 | NER0cs

MOUZ win ESL Pro League Season 18

Natus Vincere 15-19 MOUZ

MOUZ have done it! FaZe, G2, ENCE, and now Natus Vincere have fallen at the end of a Cinderella run for the former MOUZ NXT core.

It's a fitting end for CS:GO's last LAN that a squad with an average of just 20 takes our final trophy home.

19:55 | NER0cs

Three tournament points for MOUZ

Natus Vincere 15-18 MOUZ

What a round to win! It's a fitting one, too: NAVI have lost tilter after tilter and it's a David "⁠frozen⁠" Čerňanský smoke defuse that gives MOUZ three series points.

19:52 | NER0cs

Watch: xertioN strikes three down from behind

Natus Vincere 15-17 MOUZ

That's just what MOUZ needed! A plucky Dorian "⁠xertioN⁠" Berman flank gave them all of the info and the Israeli delivered the kills too. NAVI will have to come from behind again.

19:50 | NER0cs

Overtime!

Natus Vincere 15-15 MOUZ

MOUZ couldn't make their two series points count. NAVI has stood strong, with five kills from Oleksandr "⁠s1mple⁠" Kostyliev to take us to overtime.

19:48 | NER0cs

All 30 rounds on Mirage

Natus Vincere 14-15 MOUZ

NAVI have broken the streak with a fast Mid play. It's full buy vs full buy in what might be our final round. Tournament point MOUZ.

19:43 | NER0cs

Jimpphat comes alive to put MOUZ in touching distance

Natus Vincere 13-14 MOUZ

Jimi "⁠Jimpphat⁠" Salo hasn't had much action on B but it's back-to-back 3Ks from the Finn as MOUZ close in on the ESL Pro League trophy.

Hugo "⁠Hugo⁠" Byron calls it a "robbery," and NAVI must feel the same way after some of these losses.

19:40 | NER0cs

A semi-buy plagues NAVI yet again

Natus Vincere 13-12 MOUZ

Ádám "⁠torzsi⁠" Torzsás's saved AWP has given MOUZ a lifeline. The Hungarian has reached a 24-12 K-D as he looks to put this final to bed in three.

It's another semi-buy that has disrupted what looked to be a promising half for NAVI. So many rounds Oleksandr "⁠s1mple⁠" Kostyliev's side have lost have been heartbreakers.

19:34 | NER0cs

NAVI show some composure as they regain control of Mirage

Natus Vincere 13-10 MOUZ

Natus Vincere are onto 12 rounds, the highest total they have reached on a map in this final. Their slow defaults have earned plenty of success, with MOUZ giving up Middle and, so far, being punished for it.

Next up is a real pace change, a swift waterfall out of Palace to keep NAVI one step, and three rounds, ahead. It's been a good showing from Aleksi "⁠Aleksib⁠" Virolainen this half.

19:22 | NER0cs

NAVI get back on track

Natus Vincere 9-9 MOUZ

Natus Vincere are trying to reset, and are off to a good start on T side. They've survived the MOUZ force buys and it's even stevens as we enter the gun rounds. This final's not over yet.

19:12 | NER0cs

Another tilter for NAVI as MOUZ extend their lead

Natus Vincere 6-9 MOUZ

It's falling apart for NAVI. Great utility work from Aleksi "⁠Aleksib⁠" Virolainen got them into a 2v1 but he opts to peek into Ádám "⁠torzsi⁠" Torzsás's AWP in the 1v1 despite the bomb being smoked.

There's been more than a few tilting rounds this game; if NAVI are to recover, it will require a hefty mental reset.

19:04 | NER0cs

NAVI fall to pistols again

Natus Vincere 6-6 MOUZ

If you weren't scared, you should have been. NAVI have come unstuck against the ecos once again.

An Dorian "⁠xertioN⁠" Berman opener was all they needed to trade efficiently on A and MOUZ have done it on the pistols once again.

In the gun round that followed, xertioN got another opener and now it's NAVI who are looking into the pistol part of the buy wheel.

19:01 | NER0cs

Watch: s1mple's hero ball fails

Natus Vincere 6-4 MOUZ

An unforced error from Oleksandr "⁠s1mple⁠" Kostyliev gave MOUZ a fourth, but Kamil "⁠siuhy⁠" Szkaradek's attempted pace change in Middle came unstuck in the round after to spare s1mple's blushes.

MOUZ are back on Deagles —- who is scared?

18:57 | NER0cs

Some breathing room for NAVI

Natus Vincere 5-3 MOUZ

It got a bit touch-and-go but NAVI are taking control of Mirage. It's a streak of five rounds in a row as their defensive side holds strong.

18:50 | NER0cs

NAVI lock MOUZ down on B to get their Mirage rolling

Natus Vincere 2-3 MOUZ

Back-to-back B rushes were dealt with by Aleksi "⁠Aleksib⁠" Virolainen and Justinas "⁠jL⁠" Lekavicius and Natus Vincere are on the board.

But can they survive the anti-eco? We know how that went on Overpass...

18:46 | NER0cs

HooXi: "MOUZ are the best T side Mirage team in the world"

Natus Vincere 0-3 MOUZ

MOUZ have an impressive 59.4% round win percentage on the T side of Mirage, and have picked up the pistol to get off to a good start on their home map.

Expect a half full of fakes, it's a Kamil "⁠siuhy⁠" Szkaradek specialty and MOUZ' youngsters have spent half their life in FACEIT pugs on this map.

18:42 | NER0cs

The last CS:GO map on LAN?

Natus Vincere 0-0 MOUZ

We're underway on Mirage, and should MOUZ prevail it will be the final map of Global Offensive at a Big Event.

18:23 | NER0cs

Say the line, Striker

Nobody has ever come back from 0-2 in a tier one best-of-five on LAN.

Could it happen in the very last Global Offensive grand final?

18:21 | NER0cs

MOUZ take a 2-0 lead in the BO5

Natus Vincere 9-16 MOUZ

Jimi "⁠Jimpphat⁠" Salo has come in with huge impact at the close, and NAVI's final has nearly been put to bed.

Next up is Mirage, both teams' usual first picks. It's now or never for Aleksi "⁠Aleksib⁠" Virolainen's men.

18:15 | NER0cs

MOUZ close in on victory on Overpass

Natus Vincere 9-14 MOUZ

Two T rounds in a row was enough to force NAVI onto eco, and has now put MOUZ two rounds away from map three.

18:12 | NER0cs

NAVI cleaned up for MOUZ' first T round

Natus Vincere 9-12 MOUZ

NAVI had the strong start to the half they needed but now MOUZ have answered back, a solid default converted with all the kills on the A site.

18:05 | NER0cs

NAVI start to claw a way back

Natus Vincere 7-11 MOUZ

A pistol and converstion has put Natus Vincere back in the game. A bank has been built up and Oleksandr "⁠s1mple⁠" Kostyliev has his second favourite weapon, the AWP.

17:56 | NER0cs

11 CT rounds for MOUZ on Overpass

Natus Vincere 4-11 MOUZ

Natus Vincere got into a good situation in round 14, but Dorian "⁠xertioN⁠" Berman's run through the Jump-Up smoke created a 2v2 retake that MOUZ converted with a patient Long flank from Jimi "⁠Jimpphat⁠" Salo.

Round 15 was much the same, a great opening to the round before NAVI crumbled in the 3v3. Five more rounds required for MOUZ — are we getting an early night?

17:48 | NER0cs

MOUZ in cruise control

Natus Vincere 4-9 MOUZ

That Kamil "⁠siuhy⁠" Szkaradek 4K has changed everything. MOUZ's bank is swelling, and a B rush in round 12 couldn't spark NAVI into life either.

17:42 | NER0cs

Watch: siuhy 4K on the eco

Natus Vincere 4-5 MOUZ

It's moments like these that define grand finals.

Natus Vincere had MOUZ on the back foot, but this Kamil "⁠siuhy⁠" Szkaradek 4K has wretched momentum back to his side. No armour and just a deagle, but he still recorded 481 damage in the round. Captain's moment!

17:35 | NER0cs

NAVI on the board

Natus Vincere 2-4 MOUZ

"That's the most important round for NAVI in the whole half," says Rasmus "⁠HooXi⁠" Nielsen as NAVI win a crucial second gun round.

Both sides were down to nothing economically, but now it's MOUZ on the back foot and they will have a weak buy in round eight too.

17:30 | NER0cs

torzsi with three triple-kills in three rounds

Natus Vincere 0-4 MOUZ

It's the worst possible start for NAVI. Ádám "⁠torzsi⁠" Torzsás has ten kills in four rounds and has clutched a 1vs3 in their first gun round too.

Oleksandr "⁠s1mple⁠" Kostyliev has his head in his hand, but it's finally on to AK-47s for NAVI in round five.

17:25 | NER0cs

HooXi: "Overpass isn't the obvious pick for NAVI"

Natus Vincere 0-2 MOUZ

Natus Vincere have gone for Overpass as their first pick of the BO5, starting on T side of the most CT sided map in the pool — something Rasmus "⁠HooXi⁠" Nielsen has questioned on the caster desk.

It's a hard one to judge: Natus Vincere haven't played Overpass since Cologne, and they have had a plentiful bootcamp since then. It's trial by fire in the grand final.

17:06 | LucasAM

MOUZ take 1-0 lead in EPL final

Natus Vincere 10-16 MOUZ

MOUZ ran away with Inferno on the attacking side, converting their 9-6 lead from the half into a dominating 16-10 victory. Oleksandr "⁠s1mple⁠" Kostyliev's shotgun shenanigans did not work in a tough economic half and it was Kamil "⁠siuhy⁠" Szkaradek who got the first tally in the battle of in-game leaders with Aleksi "⁠Aleksib⁠" Virolainen.

The Pole didn't just win the battle of the minds, though, as he also topped the board with a 1.29 rating and 84 ADR. Up next will be Natus Vincere's first map pick, Overpass, where the Ukrainian star and his side will hope to bounce back and make the best-of-five final a competitive one.

16:48 | LucasAM

MOUZ keep NAVI on the back foot

Natus Vincere 7-12 MOUZ

Kamil "⁠siuhy⁠" Szkaradek and company bagged the second pistol round of Inferno, but failed to strike B in the second round and gave Natus Vincere a footing back into the map.

A triple by Dorian "⁠xertioN⁠" Berman in the following forcebuy swung the economy back in his team's favor, however, and they then won a second in a row to start putting ground between themselves and their foes.

16:39 | king_dempz

Aleksib finds insane 4k, but MOUZ lead at the half as b1t struggles

Natus Vincere 6-9 MOUZ

Natus Vincere seemed like they might get to seven rounds after a beautiful 4k in a 2v4 from Aleksi "⁠Aleksib⁠" Virolainen, but MOUZ did enough for a 9-6 lead.

Valeriy "⁠b1t⁠" Vakhovskiy has struggled badly this game so far, he found his first kill in round 12 and only has two in total.

16:30 | king_dempz

Watch: iM unarmored 4k

Natus Vincere 5-6 MOUZ

Mihai "⁠iM⁠" Ivan's performances have been much-maligned since he joined Natus Vincere, but he said he is feeling more comfortable at this event, and that is showing in his performance.

It's a very close half right now, it may end up being split down the middle.

16:16 | king_dempz

NAVI half-buy win halts MOUZ momentum

Natus Vincere 2-4 MOUZ

MOUZ started hot in this map on their CT side, even winning a 2v5 thanks to a Jimi "⁠Jimpphat⁠" Salo 4k in the fourth round (which wasn't as spectacular as it sounds), but a half-buy win powered by some excellent work by Mihai "⁠iM⁠" Ivan has put Natus Vincere back in action.

MOUZ's economy is struggling now, Natus Vincere should bring the score close.

16:02 | king_dempz

NAVI and MOUZ get grand final underway on Inferno

The time is now, Natus Vincere and MOUZ are getting this best-of-five series started on Inferno, with Natus Vincere on the T side.

The full veto is below. Rasmus "⁠HooXi⁠" Nielsen felt this could be a 3-1 series in favor of MOUZ having seen the maps, and more specifically the order in which they would be played. Do you agree?

15:43 | king_dempz

Aleksib: "We're looking for that revenge"

Aleksi "⁠Aleksib⁠" Virolainen gave his thoughts on the broadcast ahead of the grand final, and he was asked about whether MOUZ's recent win over Natus Vincere at IEM Cologne gives them in a edge in the matchup.

"It does factor in a way, they might have some extra confidence in knowing they beat us last time 2-0. I think back then we were a much worse team, but at the same time I feel like right now we are both pretty hot, both have a win streak going on, and their veto is pretty good in this one.

"We're looking for that revenge and we're so happy to be here."

13:58 | king_dempz

MOUZ and NAVI prepare to clash in last CS:GO Big Event final

The last big grand final fans will get to witness in CS:GO, the game that has given us over 10 years of immense competition and heart-warming memories, is upon us.

Date	Matches
ESL Pro League Season 18
01/10/2023	Natus Vincere 16:00 MOUZ	Match

In Malta, Natus Vincere have started showing the full potential of their international lineup, which was only seen in brief flashes in previous events.

MOUZ were something of an unknown quantity. Their disappointing showing at IEM Cologne sat in stark contrast to the excitement that accompanied the recent reunion of the majority of the team's immensely successful academy project.

Both teams have made impressive runs in Malta, Natus Vincere thanks to the ease with which they have breezed past all opposition 2-0, and MOUZ racking up upsets one by one along the way against the likes of Heroic, FaZe, G2 and ENCE.

The last time these two squads clashed was in the IEM Cologne group stage, where MOUZ actually took that matchup in comfortable 2-0 fashion. Natus Vincere then went on to back-to-back matches, however, and achieved a deeper finish than MOUZ, who exited the competition after two successive defeats.

Map win rates over the past three months

The Pro League final's best-of-five veto might slightly favor the squad led by Kamil "⁠siuhy⁠" Szkaradek, since their perma-ban is Anubis, one of Natus Vincere’s best maps. This will automatically take a potential boon away from Oleksandr "⁠s1mple⁠" Kostyliev and company. By contrast, NAVI’s perma-ban is Vertigo, MOUZ’s worst map statistically by some distance.

b1t's performance at Pro League so far

What about the firepower advantage? Well that seems to reside firmly in Natus Vincere’s favor, who have both s1mple and Valeriy "⁠b1t⁠" Vakhovskiy back to their best and rated among the top-ten players at the event, while MOUZ have no one. Natus Vincere’s overall team rating is also slightly higher.