AleksiB Lands a Smoke Grenade Kill on NiKo in One of IEM Melbourne’s Funniest Moments

One of the most unexpected and entertaining moments of IEM Melbourne unfolded during the first map of the group stage clash between Natus Vincere and Falcons. NAVI's in-game leader, Aleksi “AleksiB” Virolainen, delivered what might be the tournament’s most bizarre kill — with a smoke grenade.

The scene took place on Inferno, with Falcons leading 5-0. In a routine B-site push, AleksiB tossed a standard smoke grenade. At first, it seemed like a typical setup utility — nothing out of the ordinary. But what no one could predict was that Nikola “NiKo” Kovač, sitting on just 1 HP, happened to be right where the grenade landed.

Milliseconds before the smoke activated, it dealt just enough damage to finish NiKo off — making for an incredibly rare kill.

What truly made the moment legendary, though, was the reaction from the Ukrainian broadcast team. As they saw the setup unfold, they jokingly predicted, “this could be a smoke kill.” Seconds later, the prophecy was fulfilled, and the studio erupted in disbelief and laughter.

It was a perfect storm of timing, luck, and on-point casting — a highlight that will surely be replayed for months to come.