3DMAX caused a major upset at the Esports World Cup CS2 2025 event by eliminating the reigning champions, NAVI, with a score of 2-1 in a thrilling comeback match.

NAVI took the lead by winning the first map, Ancient, with a score of 13-10. However, they subsequently lost the next two maps, finishing 9-13 on Inferno and 11-13 on Nuke. The final map saw NAVI trying to rally, but 3DMAX had other ideas.

On the deciding map, Lucky led 3DMAX with an impressive performance, recording 19 kills and 13 deaths. His significant contributions played a key role in the match. 3DMAX is set to compete against The MongolZ in the quarterfinals on August 21, following The MongolZ’s 2-0 victory over GamerLegion.

A recent shift in leadership occurred within the French team, as Maka transferred the in-game leader responsibilities to Graviti, who joined the squad in April last year. This restructuring has yielded excellent results, leading to 3DMAX’s victory over EWC CS2 titleholders NAVI in Graviti’s debut match as IGL.

NAVI entered the tournament as one of the favorites. In an interview before the event commenced, Aleksib mentioned that the addition of makazze to their roster significantly bolstered their title defense capabilities, stating, «I think the fact that we have new energy in the team still with the addition of makazze.»

Makazze stood out in the disappointing loss, achieving a solid 1.49 rating with 24 kills and 15 deaths on Nuke. This 18-year-old talent had just been promoted to the senior team on July 8, filling the spot previously held by jL.

NAVI concluded their EWC 2025 journey with a prize of $20,000, as they continue their quest to shake off a title drought. They will be looking to recover and secure qualification for the upcoming BLAST Open London early next month.