NAVI oust FaZe from No. 1 spot in world rankings

Natus Vincere have reclaimed the throne at the top of the world rankings, slipping ahead of FaZe by twenty points to oust the PGL Major Antwerp champions from the No. 1 spot.

FaZe dropping down to second place after 13 weeks at the top follows in the wake of a downturn of results for the European combine since they won the Major, having exited IEM Dallas and the BLAST Premier Spring Final in 5-6th place, and finishing the Roobet Cup as runners-up to BIG.

NAVI and FaZe could battle for the No. 1 spot in the Cologne grand final

Conversely, Natus Vincere have enjoyed a return to form after parting with Kirill “⁠Boombl4⁠” Mikhailov and bringing in Viktor “⁠sdy⁠” Orudzhev on a trial basis, winning the BLAST Premier Spring Final in convincing fashion in a run that saw them absolutely batter FaZe 16-6 and 16-1 in the quarter-finals.

Coming into IEM Cologne, both lineups have been far and away the best teams in the event, easing through their respective groups to earn spots in the semi-finals. However, as points for the event won’t be factored into their LAN and achievement rankings until after it concludes, either team could easily pull ahead of the other depending on how the tournament ends.

As Natus Vincere and FaZe will begin their playoff runs on either side of the bracket, we could be headed for a thrilling showdown between the two teams in the grand final to determine which of them will be able to claim the crown heading into the break. First up though: just making it to the best-of-five title decider.

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