The experiment with Team Liquid came to an end for cadiaN on June 18, after a turbulent six months with the organisation, and even though it was a much longer stay for his compatriot, HooXi has suffered the same fate.
G2 and Liquid have been some of the biggest movers during the player break, with both teams making multiple changes to their rosters at the end of June and the start of July.
HooXi now follows Nemanja “nexa” Isakovic out the door after he was benched on June 18 due to poor performances in the seven months that he was on the roster.
It comes as no surprise that HooXi is the next team member to go, following multiple rumours around his future and his lack of impact on the server outside of his leadership.
HooXi did lead G2 to three S-Tier titles, including two of the most prestigious titles, IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne, in 2023.
However, since the turn of the year, G2 has made the playoffs in most of the tournaments they have played in but failed to claim a title until they won IEM Dallas in June.
Unfortunately for HooXi, he wasn’t in Dallas, and Nikola “NiKo” Kovac took over as the in-game leader, while Jake “Stewie2k” Yip stood in for HooXi.
This led people in the Counter-Strike scene to question if G2 would be better off without HooXi and if NiKo could take the reins as the IGL.
It is not known who will take over as the new IGL after HooXi’s benching, but whatever happens, it appears as though G2 Esports are taking big steps to improve their already deadly roster.
Multiple trophies, hundreds of memes, and loads of the most cracked content.
Thanks for everything, m'Lord @HooXiCSGO, you'll forever be the real CS Gigachad
pic.twitter.com/HlOI02BFwh
— G2 CS (@G2CSGO) July 1, 2024
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The team, initially entering the event with Jacky “Stewie2K” Yip as a stand-in for their regular in-game leader, Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen, exceeded all expectations to claim the title.
This victory marks a significant achievement for Stewie2K, who had been away from the Counter-Strike scene for over two years.
YOUR 100TH #IEM CHAMPIONS HAVE BEEN CROWNED.
G-STEW HAVE DONE IT
@G2CSGO ARE YOUR #IEM DALLAS 2024 CHAMPIONS
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) June 2, 2024
G2’s path to the IEM Dallas trophy was anything but straightforward.
They faced and defeated some of the top contenders, including FaZe Clan and Team Vitality, showcasing remarkable resilience and skill.
Under the leadership of Nikola “NiKo” Kova?, the team also overcame the dark horse of the event, 9z Team, in the playoffs.
The grand final against Vitality was a gripping three-map series that kept fans on the edge of their seats.
The action kicked off on G2’s pick, Inferno.
Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov set the tone with a 4K in the pistol round, leading G2 to a 7-5 advantage by the end of the first half.
Despite a strong start from Vitality in the second half, including a 1v1 clutch by m0NESY against Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut, the map went into overtime.
G2 eventually triumphed 19-16, thanks to brilliant plays from NiKo, m0NESY, and Nemanja “huNter-” Kova?.
The second map, Anubis, saw a similar back-and-forth struggle.
G2 initially gained the upper hand, but Vitality’s William “mezii” Merriman delivered a highlight ace, shifting the momentum.
Vitality secured a 16-13 victory, forcing a decider map.
Nuke, the final map, started with G2 taking an early lead, but Vitality’s defense soon turned the tide.
However, a crucial 1v1 by m0NESY against ZywOo tied the score at halftime.
In the second half, G2 maintained their composure and closed out the map 13-8, securing the championship.
m0NESY was named the tournament MVP, boasting an impressive 1.61 rating in the final.
The young prodigy @G2m0NESY has officially claimed his first #ESLProTour DHL MVP trophy!
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) June 3, 2024
His stellar performance was complemented by the return of Stewie2K, whose presence revitalized the team.
“I don’t care about who I play against. We just won IEM Dallas, it’s crazy,” m0NESY said, emphasizing the collective effort.
Stewie2K’s return to competitive Counter-Strike was met with widespread acclaim.
“I��m back,�� he declared after the win.
��It��s probably the best feeling ever. I feel like I��ve been through hell for this, I��m very grateful and very thankful, honestly.��
His impact, both in and out of the game, was pivotal to G2’s success.
G2 Esports’ victory at IEM Dallas 2024 is a milestone for the team and a testament to their adaptability and skill.
As they prepare for the BLAST Premier Spring Final in London, the excitement continues to build.
With HooXi set to return as the in-game leader, G2 aims to carry forward their winning momentum.
For Stewie2K, this triumph is a reminder of his capabilities and an open invitation for future opportunities in the CS2 scene.
His journey, marked by perseverance and a remarkable comeback, has left an indelible mark on the tournament and the wider esports community.
G2’s victory at IEM Dallas 2024, highlighted by thrilling matches and standout performances, will be remembered as one of the most exciting chapters in Counter-Strike history.
]]>Led by Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen and his squad, G2 showcased their prowess by triumphing over Into the Breach and Eternal Fire in best-of-one matchups before clinching a crucial victory against FaZe in a best-of-three qualifying showdown.
Copenhagen, be ready, @G2CSGO is coming after a 3W-0L record at the PGL CS2 RMR EU 1!#PGLRMR pic.twitter.com/TpUSTrUjAV
— PGL (@pglesports) February 15, 2024
Undoubtedly, the standout performer for G2 was Nikola “NiKo” Kova?, whose stellar performance was instrumental in securing the team’s triumph.
Particularly noteworthy was NiKo’s outstanding display on maps like Anubis and Ancient, where he showcased his prowess with critical plays and clutch moments, significantly improving upon his recent performances.
On Anubis, a closely contested affair early on, G2’s T-side prowess ultimately proved decisive, with NiKo’s exceptional performance and unexpected contributions from HooXi tipping the scales in their favour.
Moving to Ancient, a map where FaZe had previously bested G2, NiKo once again shone, delivering clutch plays, including a remarkable 1vs2 ace clutch, to secure victory for his team.
Despite the loss, FaZe remains a formidable contender, with opportunities still available in the 2-1 pool.
Virtus.pro, on the other hand, has also secured their place at the PGL Major Copenhagen with an impressive performance in the Europe RMR A tournament.
@virtuspro has officially qualified for the PGL CS2 Major Copenhagen 2024!
— PGL (@pglesports) February 15, 2024
Virtus.pro recorded dominant wins over SAW and Fnatic in best-of-one series before easing past Natus Vincere in two maps to lock in their spot at the Major.
Led by Dzhami “Jame” Ali, Virtus.pro displayed resilience and dominance throughout, securing straightforward wins and showcasing their potential as a formidable force in the upcoming Major.
The PGL Major Copenhagen will be a chance for VP to get redemption after they were unable to qualify for the BLAST.tv Paris Major in 2023.
Meanwhile, Into The Breach and Ninjas in Pyjamas’ dreams of making the opening Major of the 2024 season were crushed as they were eliminated from the Europe RMR A in last place.
Friday’s Europe RMR A matches
- AMKAL ($2.62) vs Falcons ($1.44) @ 1pm EET
- Fnatic ($1.57) vs KOI ($2.25) @ 1pm EET
- 9 Pandas ($1.83) vs 3DMAX ($1.83) @ 4pm EET
- FaZe Clan ($1.53) vs Eternal Fire ($2.37) @ 4pm EET
- Enterprise ($2.62) vs SAW ($1.44) @ 7pm EET
- Natus Vincere ($1.28) vs BetBoom Team ($3.50) @ 7pm EET
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THE LAST CS:GO #IEM COLOGNE CHAMPIONS.@G2esports HAVE DONE IT
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) August 6, 2023
Although IEM Cologne 2023 wasn��t a Major, it could turn out to be the most prestigious edition of the event, as the LANXESS Arena that is known as the ��Cathedral of Counter-Strike�� held its final ever CS:GO tournament.
There were a lot of people questioning G2’s decision to not change their roster after it struggled at the Paris Major in April, with many suggesting that they should drop their in-game leader Rasmus ��HooXi�� Nielsen.
However, their decision to stick with their Danish leader and keep this stacked roster together paid dividends, as their two-star players Nikola ��NiKo�� Kovac and Ilya ��m0NESY�� Osipov carried their team through the playoffs.
The grand final series started on ENCE��s map pick of Nuke �C a map that ENCE had won their last 10 matches on �C however, the streak would be ended abruptly by a rampant G2, as they took the map 16-4 to set the tone for the best-of-five series.
G2 took their 1-0 series lead onto their map pick of Mirage, and even though ENCE were much more competitive, m0NESY and NiKo took over in the second half and wrapped up the map 16-10 to give their team a 2-0 lead.
ENCE went into their second map pick on Anubis with no room for error, as they would need to win Anubis to keep the series alive.
Led by their in-game leader Marco ��Snappi�� Pfeiffer, ENCE dominated the first half of the map and took a 10-5 halftime lead, before eventually wrapping up the map 16-13 to send the match to Ancient.
Much like Nuke, G2 lent on their stars as they kicked off their map pick with a 9-6 first half, with m0NESY and NiKo combining for 32 kills �C which was two more kills than the entire ENCE roster combined.
Even though ENCE started the second half with three straight round wins, G2 piled on seven straight and took the map 16-9 and series 3-1.
After finishing the series with 91 kills, 98.4 average damage per round, +38 in kill/death differential and a rating of 1.49, NiKo was named the IEM Cologne 2023 Most Valuable Player.
]]>G2 were eliminated from the fourth round of the Legends Stage on Monday following a close 2-1 loss to Fnatic. The team started the series with a 19-16 win on Inferno before Fnatic reverse-swept them on Anubis (11-16) and Vertigo (13-16).
“Today is on me. The two maps we lost was mostly because of not keeping our cool and being prepared for the pressure and with that comes bad and rushed decisions,” HooXi wrote.
“Horrible feeling that our T sides costs us after we have been doing so well. Sorry everyone, I tried my absolute best.”
The player went on to congratulate Fnatic for the win and encouraged them to make it to the playoffs.
HooXi’s statement protects other G2 players that played below expectations during the match with Fnatic. The team’s star players Nikola “NiKo” Kova? and Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov both finished with a negative K/D ratio.
The team IGL, in particular, recorded the lowest performance with a 0.76 rating and 36-65 K/D at the end of the series. Justin “jks” Savage and Nemanja “huNter-” Kova? were the only G2 players to reach a positive K/D.
While G2 missed out on the $1.25 million grand prize, the team secured $20,000 for finishing 12th-14th alongside Bad News Eagles and ENCE. Fnatic, on their end, will move to the Legends Stage fifth round and face off against NaVi for a place in the playoffs.
G2 joined the BLAST.tv Paris Major following their failure to participate in the IEM Rio Major in November 2022. With their loss in the last Major of 2023, G2 are set to enter Counter-Strike 2 later this year without any CS:GO Major wins.
]]>G2 came into the BLAST Premier World Final as $10 outsiders with esports betting sites, after a sub-par performance in the BLAST Premier Fall Finals, and they only qualified for due to their BLAST Leaderboard finishing position.
However, G2 took the first map and their map pick (Inferno) 16-7.
They kept the momentum going with a very close victory on map two (Mirage) 16-12, ending Team Liquid’s nine-game win streak on a map they are no.1 in the world on.
The win in Abu Dhabi was the first tournament win for G2, as well as their first map victory in a S-Tier grand final in over 1000 days.
For the G2 in-game leader, Rasmus ��HooXi�� Nielsen, this win tops off a very emotional week for him after his father passed away as the team were travelling to Abu Dhabi earlier in the week.
HooXi has won his first S-Tier event as a Counter-Strike professional, surpassing his career-best finish of a quarter-final exit with Copenhagen Flames in the PGL Major Antwerp.
As for the young rising star on this roster, m0NESY, he was brilliant throughout the World Final, as well as in the grand final, earning him the HLTV BLAST Premier World Final MVP, becoming one of the youngest to ever win an MVP, as a 17-year-old.
Jks was awarded the player of the match for the grand final, with a series-high rating of 1.35 out of 2, ending with a +16 kill/death difference for the series.
Now that G2 have broken through and won their first tournament with this new, super-team roster, 2023 could be the year for the BLAST Premier World Final champions.
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