Aleksib: NAVI seeks to find its identity after difficult start
NAVI captain Aleksi "Aleksib" Virolainen has discussed the team's struggles at the start of the current season. In an interview with the StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026 organizers, he explained that the squad is working to overcome recurring mistakes and emphasized the necessity of official matches to rebuild confidence.
According to Aleksib, it is challenging for the team to pinpoint a single reason for their disappointing results. Despite having a deep playbook and conducting detailed reviews of lost rounds, the players occasionally repeat the same mistakes. Aleksib noted that while such errors might be less impactful for a new team, for NAVI, repeating mistakes after extensive discussion becomes a significant issue.
The team is currently attempting to balance fixing problems with avoiding overanalysis. Their primary goal is to increase precision in their actions and learn to trust collective decision-making once again.
Another critical factor identified by the IGL is the need for more official match experience. Aleksib mentioned that while the team showed positive signs after their bootcamp, performance subsequently declined sharply. To rectify this, the squad needs more consistent tournament play.
“We need more repetitions and more tournaments right now. Any confidence we can gain will improve our style of CS and how we think about the game heading into the next tournaments,” Aleksib stated.
Prior to StarSeries 20, the team's objective was to find its own identity and prove its ability to play high-quality Counter-Strike 2. However, NAVI finished the tournament in last place (7th–8th), losing both of their matches and earning $5,000 in prize money.
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