Nostalgia for the recent few years seems to be in style recently, but we weren’t expecting to see callbacks to 2024 of all years.

But here we are - jL is playing well, and NAVI have faced Aurora in an EPL grand final.

It’s a strange grand final, especially considering Spirit and MOUZ were playing in this playoff bracket, and even stranger considering neither NAVI nor Aurora faced either of them.

Yet here we were, starting the BO5 with a Mirage opener. We had some question marks around NAVI’s form on their map pick, but w0nderful quickly answered those questions with a 1.95 rating in a 13-7 victory.

With it being NAVI’s weakest map, Aurora winning their usual map pick of Anubis was a foregone conclusion. Despite this, NAVI almost took it over the line, at one point holding the lead with 11-10 before losing in regulation.

This strong fightback set the tone for the upcoming Nuke map, with w0nderful once again living up to his name. This gave NAVI the chance to close out the game in fairy tale fashion - with all the star players holding hands, skipping across the line with near-identical statlines.

How cute.

It’s a first big event trophy since 2024 for NAVI, and a nice breath of fresh air after struggling to make it out of group stages in 2026 so far. For makazze it’s a first tier one trophy, and his excellent performances across the event also net him a career-first MVP - the first player from Kosovo to get one.

For Aurora it’s a silver medal and a first big event grand final appearance since winning PGL Masters Bucharest last year. There are worrying signs, though, as XANTARES’ 0.76 rating is another weak playoff showing this year, perhaps whispering of the end of the star rifler’s prime form.

Third place deciders are usually wholly uninteresting to us, but this one at least had some action. Astralis got the better of FUT in overtime after just barely coming back from 9-12 on the third map of Overpass to secure a third place finish.

Despite the loss, it’s clear to us this FUT team are the future, only further proven by their former teammate making history for his country in the grand final.

Will we see NAVI or Aurora play another grand final this year? Unlikely, if you ask us.

But sometimes you need a little sweet treat to break up the monotony of the everyday.