G2 Esports’ Counter-Strike 2 roster is pretty new for the most part of the year, but that didn’t stop Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač and Eetu “sAw” Saha from leading the team to their first major CS2 title at BLAST Open London.
Niko and m0NESY left G2 to join Team Falcons earlier this year, with huNter- taking on the in-game leader role and sAw the head coach a few months after. Much to everyone’s surprise, the inexperienced team achieved this victory against heavy title contenders, including the best team of the year so far, Team Vitality.
After a heartbreaking first-round exit at the Esports World Cup in August, G2 quickly turned the tide, worked on their basics, and had their best run in London.
Although they were pushed to the lower bracket by MOUZ in the closed qualifiers, they went on to beat some of the best teams from thereon. They demolished Team Spirit 13-1 on Ancient to close out a 2-1 reverse sweep in Group B lower bracket final, then came through with dominant 2-0 sweeps over FaZe Clan and FURIA in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively.
In the grand final, they faced the Austin Major champions Vitality. And when things looked bleak for G2 as they stared on a 1-2 series deficit, they came back in the last round on Inferno, secured overtime, and successfully battled it out for a 13-6 decider on Train to win with a 3-2 series score over the French org.
In an interview with HLTV, Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko, the MVP of the tournament, had nothing but praise for his team. “It was a crazy best of five. I’m really impressed with my team’s level, it’s crazy. HuNter’s calls, everyone’s support, I’m really grateful for my team and the coach and all the staff, for all they did for us.”
It was the team’s first arena event since m0NESY left for Team Falcons following G2’s runner-up finish at PGL Bucharest. HeavyGod lauded his IGL and coach when asked how he managed to put up an MVP-worthy performance: “HuNter’s experience worked this map, and sAw’s timeouts are really pushing us up mentally and tactically, he’s pushing the limits from us. He’s changing us. He’s a crazy guy, just adorable really.”
In a post-match interview with James Banks, huNter- expressed elation after leading the revamped G2 to an S-tier trophy, especially against seasoned in-game leaders. “Nobody expected it from us, and it’s an amazing story. Playing in these playoffs against IGLs like FalleN, karrigan, and apEX in three days is not easy, I can tell you that.”
The victory is surely a massive morale boost for G2, pushing them into a promising new CS2 era. They’ll look to sustain their momentum heading into the FISSURE Playground 2, where they are now seen as one of the strongest contenders.
