Top Inferno CS2 Matches of All Time: NAVI vs FaZe Clan, PGL Major Antwerp 2022

There’s only so much you can learn by yourself, especially in the world of Counter-Strike. Getting better means learning from the best, and in this case, that happens to be from the competitive scene. What better example than an intense game from one of the most prominent rivalries in modern esports?

Looking to master Inferno in CS2? Check out this guide:

CS2 Inferno T-Side Guide

The Backstory

The quintessential Counter-Strike rivalry of the early post-pandemic era, Natus Vincere and FaZe Clan are responsible for some of the greatest matches and even tournament series in the game’s modern era.

The first CS Major of 2022 was no exception. Anyone who was tasked to predict the outcome of this particular event would always point you towards a NAVI – FaZe Clan grand final, with the only difference being who eventually won it all. NAVI were coming from the organization’s first-ever Major victory just months prior, and FaZe Clan’s lineup was arguably the strongest it’s ever been.

The Contenders

Natus Vincere at the time were 2021’s proclaimed “best team in the world”, defending Major champions, and reigning Intel Grand Slam winners. Not to mention they had the single human being in the world that can safely crown himself as the greatest of all time — Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev.

FaZe Clan, on the other hand, had just signed Robin “ropz” Kool at the beginning of the year to take the place of benched three-time Major winner Olof “olofmeister” Kajbjer Gustafsson in a move that was met with much excitement, not just from FaZe supporters but fans of the game in general.

NAVI and s1mple obviously wanted to repeat, but standing in their way was a red-hot FaZe Clan lineup whose start to 2022 gave them the edge in conversations about which team was currently the World No. 1. Everyone knew what matchup they wanted to see in the final battle for the crown, and on May 22, 2022, they got their wish.

Comeback Into Overtime

At this point in time, everyone knows the story of the PGL Major Antwerp in 2022. The second map wasn’t the greatest, and FaZe Clan lifted the trophy for the first time ever. Map 1, however, definitely belongs in the history books as one of the most competitive and compelling games of Counter-Strike played since the COVID-19 pandemic era.

Inferno started off as a FaZe masterclass, effectively securing the first half win after an impressive 8-0 start. Not only was NAVI still scoreless, but they definitely struggled on firepower early on as well. Kirill “Boombl4” Mikhaylov was held to 0 kills at this point in the map while FaZe’s Helvijs “broky” Saukants led the way for his squad with 13.

NAVI eventually changed their fortunes, winning five of the last seven before halftime to put up a 5-10 score. Håvard “rain” Nygaard opened the second half with a pistol round ace and FaZe subsequently took the following round to increase their lead to 12-5. What happened next can only be described as unprecedented.

Becoming A Modern Classic

NAVI won ten of the next 11 rounds and even beat FaZe Clan to match point, holding a 15-13 advantage. FaZe saved a match point, and Round 30 came down to a 1v1 between s1mple, the greatest player of all time, and ropz, one of the most intelligent players in history.

ropz won said 1v1, sent the map to overtime, and after five extra rounds of play, FaZe Clan finally shut down NAVI’s comeback for good. The Inferno game was pivotal in their eventual 2-0 series victory for the Major trophy, but even on its own, NAVI vs FaZe’s first map at the PGL Major Antwerp can be considered as one of the all-time classics.

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