This victory broke G2’s longstanding 0-9 losing streak against NaVi, a team led by Aleksi “?Aleksib?” Virolainen, and earned G2 their second trophy of the year.
G2’s lineup, featuring Janusz “?Snax?” Pogorzelski and Mario “?malbsMd?” Samayoa, finally came together to lift their first trophy with these players.
It marked an important moment for Snax, who hadn’t won a major LAN event since ESL One New York in 2018, and for malbsMd, who became the first Guatemalan player ever to win a Counter-Strike trophy.
@G2CSGO ARE YOUR FALL FINAL CHAMPIONS!
— BLAST Premier
(@BLASTPremier) September 29, 2024
G2’s victory comes after a successful year, which also saw them win IEM Dallas with Jake “?Stewie2K?” Yip standing in during an inspiring Cinderella run.
NaVi had held a dominant 9-0 record over G2 since going international in July 2023, including a group-stage victory over G2 in the Fall Final.
However, as G2’s Nemanja “?huNter-?” Kova? famously said after lifting the trophy, “Nobody beats G2 10 times in a row.”
The grand final saw G2 perform at their peak, with standout performances across the board.
Ilya “?m0NESY?” Osipov was instrumental, delivering a 1.42 series rating and clutching six rounds across the first three maps.
In stark contrast, NaVi’s Ihor “?w0nderful?” Zhdanov struggled, ending with a 0.87 rating, a performance that hindered NaVi’s efforts.
The first map, Ancient, saw G2 take an early lead, with malbsMd delivering a crucial double knife kill and NiKo leading a strong offensive push to close the map 13-9.
NaVi bounced back on Dust2, but G2’s resilience, particularly through m0NESY and malbsMd’s multi-kill performances, helped them secure another 13-11 victory.
Mirage was a turning point for NaVi, who capitalised on G2’s mistakes to win 13-11.
However, G2 regrouped and dominated Inferno.
malbsMd, m0NESY, and huNter- led the charge, crushing NaVi’s defence and closing out the map 13-7, sealing their victory in the series.
m0NESY’s brilliant showing throughout the tournament earned him his second MVP award of 2024, making a strong case for Player of the Year.
He ended the event with a +75 kill differential and a 1.39 rating in G2’s map wins.
MVP
@G2m0NESY pic.twitter.com/lQ45pkw3IL
— HLTV.org (@HLTVorg) September 29, 2024
Snax, whose form and leadership had been questioned, proved his doubters wrong by guiding G2 to a significant victory, while malbsMd’s performance highlighted him as one of the brightest new talents in the CS2 scene.
With this win, G2 now heads into the final stages of the year with momentum, raising expectations as they aim for the coveted Shanghai Major.
Their triumph in the BLAST Premier Fall Final marks them as serious contenders, with m0NESY and NiKo showcasing why they are one of the best duos in the game.
As NaVi reflects on a hard-fought run, fatigue from their deep tournament performances may be catching up to them.
They’ll need time to regroup before the upcoming IEM Rio 2024 and BLAST Premier World Final.
But for now, G2 celebrates a much-deserved victory that has been months in the making.
YOUR FINAL FALL FINAL CHAMPIONS, @G2CSGO
— BLAST Premier
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Wiktor “?TaZ?” Wojtas, the team’s coach, will replace him.
This news is a significant blow to G2, who recently celebrated a victory at IEM Dallas with stand-in Jake “?Stewie2K?” Yip.
m0NESY, who was the MVP at the event, expressed his eagerness to share the experience with his teammate Rasmus “?HooXi?” Nielsen, but he will now have to wait until after the Counter-Strike player break.
The Russian superstar has been a key player for G2 throughout 2024, earning one MVP and three EVP awards, and averaging a 1.31 rating across 90 maps.
His absence is particularly impactful, given his dominant performance and influence within the team.
Due to wanting to recreate the success from Dallas (VISA issues) m0NESY will not be travelling to London for Blast and so we will be playing with a stand in pic.twitter.com/niP4jWrW5B
— G2 CS (@G2CSGO) June 10, 2024
Replacing m0NESY is TaZ, a Polish legend who last played professionally in March 2023 under the HONORIS tag before retiring.
Despite his extensive experience, his return to top-tier competition after a significant hiatus will be challenging.
G2, placed in Group B, will face Team Spirit in their opening match on Wednesday.
The team will have to rely heavily on Nemanja “huNter-” Kova? and Nikola “NiKo” Kova?, both capable secondary snipers, to compensate for the loss of m0NESY’s firepower.
However, replicating his 1.31 rating will be a daunting task.
Fans had speculated a return for Stewie2K, but the team opted for TaZ, who brings veteran savvy and a calming influence.
Despite this, G2’s path to success has become significantly more challenging, as they will miss the strategic and in-game leadership m0NESY provides.
]]>Counter-Strike 2 commentator Henry “HenryG” Greer lauded TheMongolz’s performance, acknowledging Mathieu “Maniac” Quiquerez’s statement that it wouldn’t be fair to solely attribute the victory to G2’s underperformance.
CONGRATULATIONS @1mongolz
They are the FIRST team from group B to be guaranteed a spot in the #ESLProLeague Season 19 Playoffs! pic.twitter.com/ofOAzR99BR
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) April 25, 2024
Indeed, while G2 struggled throughout the series, TheMongolz showcased exceptional skill and coordination.
G2 found themselves outclassed on both maps, managing only a minor resurgence on Anubis.
None of G2’s players managed a rating above 1, while every member of TheMongolz surpassed 1.25.
Notably, AWPer Usukhbayar “910” Banzragch stood out with a remarkable 1.51 rating, 37-16 KD, and 89.2 ADR, showcasing his prowess despite being overshadowed by his rifling teammates.
One highlight for G2 was a standout play from Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov, whose quad-kill on the A site with a scout briefly sparked hope.
However, G2 failed to capitalize, and frustration mounted as TheMongolz maintained their dominance.
TheMongolz displayed composure in a relatively low-stakes match, with more challenges ahead in the upper bracket final.
Meanwhile, Team Vitality secured their playoff spot with a comfortable 2-0 (13-4, 13-9) victory over BetBoom Team, setting up a seeding match against TheMongolz.
Vitality’s resurgence, particularly the improved form of Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut, was evident throughout the tournament.
The second team from group B to be confirmed for the #ESLProLeague Season 19 Playoffs is @TeamVitality!
Congratulations
pic.twitter.com/JhUTPubdLc
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) April 25, 2024
After a shaky start against Sharks, ZywOo’s stellar performances against BetBoom signaled his return to form.
Dan “apEX” Madesclaire credited Vitality’s success to strategic rest and preparation, highlighting the team’s dominance on Mirage and their proactive approach on Anubis.
As Vitality faces TheMongolz in the upper bracket, both teams aim for a spot in the quarterfinals, while BetBoom hopes to avoid elimination in the lower bracket against Falcons.
]]>ENCE’s CS:GO team, led by Alvaro “SunPayus” Garcia, left no chance for the Spanish squad with impressive score lines of 16-2 on Overpass and 16-5 on Anubis.
SunPayus, the AWPer for ENCE, delivered a stellar performance with a remarkable 1.72 rating.
In a pre-game interview, Guy “NertZ” Iluz offered praise for his teammate’s outstanding performance by saying, “when SunPayus is feeling the game, I don’t think anyone can stop him.”
Movistar Riders struggled to hold their ground, lasting less than ten rounds on Overpass before succumbing to ENCE’s dominance.
Despite some close and chaotic situations early in the match, Riders failed to capitalize on them, allowing ENCE to cruise to victory.
ENCE displayed their superiority with a convincing 16-2 win.
The momentum carried into the Anubis map, where SunPayus continued to shine by quickly securing rounds for his team.
Although Alejandro “alex” Masanet and his team managed to win three of the last five rounds in the first half, the switch favoured Marco “Snappi” Pfeiffer’s ENCE squad.
ENCE’s pistol round victory sealed the deal as they went on a 6-0 run to finish the map 16-5.
Despite the one-sided nature of the series, Antonio “Martinez” Martinez of Movistar Riders maintained a respectable 1.07 rating, offering a silver lining for his team in the face of such a dominant defeat.
.@ENCE demolish @Movistar_Riders 2-0, securing their spot in the SEMI FINALS of #ESLProLeague Season 18!
16-2 Overpass
16-5 Anubis pic.twitter.com/D8MBLkwvjc— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) September 29, 2023
In an upset, MOUZ eliminated G2 from the ESL Pro League with a 2-1 victory.
They secured wins on Mirage (16-13) and Inferno (16-7) while narrowly losing on Ancient (14-16).
G2 entered the match as favourites but were plagued by disappointing individual performances.
Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov struggled in the second half of Mirage, Nikola “NiKo” Kova? had a tough time on Inferno, and G2’s renowned mechanical skill didn’t fully materialize.
The Mirage map started poorly for MOUZ, falling behind 1-7 while G2 dominated. However, MOUZ made a comeback, narrowing the score to 7-8 at halftime.
G2 struggled in the second half, and MOUZ secured a 16-13 victory.
On G2’s pick of Ancient, they took an early lead, but MOUZ mounted a comeback.
The game appeared to be firmly in control of G2 until MOUZ rallied late, bringing the score close.
However, NiKo’s exceptional performance with a three-kill clutch secured the win for G2 and forced a decider.
In the decider on Inferno, MOUZ took control early on, limiting G2 to just one round in the second half.
MOUZ secured a convincing 16-7 victory to seal the series win in their favour.
ádám “torzsi” Torzsás, speaking after the game, expressed excitement about their upcoming rematch with ENCE, the team that defeated MOUZ in the IEM Dallas grand final earlier in the year.
He acknowledged the challenge posed by ENCE and the tough playoff bracket ahead.
ENCE will go into the semi-final as slight favourites with most esports betting sites at $1.72 with MOUZ being marked as $2.00 outsiders.
.@mousesports are going to the SEMI FINALS by taking down @G2CSGO 2-1 at #ESLProLeague Season 18
16-13 Mirage
14-16 Ancient
16-7 Inferno pic.twitter.com/I9J9AadW0W— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) September 29, 2023
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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 – a map that ENCE had won their last 10 matches on – 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 – 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 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.
]]>A player’s overall rating is determined by their Kill/Assist/Survival/Traded (KAST) score as well as damage per round, kill rating, impact rating, and survival rating.? ?M0NESY’s 1.34 score during the tournament made him one of only two players to score above the 1.30 mark. The other was Team Liquid’s Mareks “YEKINDAR” Ga?inskis, who recorded a 1.32 score.?
M0NESY’s performance was an integral part of G2’s run for a spot at the BLAST Premier Fall Finals 2022. During the tournament, the Russian player participated in 10 maps, but the franchise was unable to win multiple matches.?
?G2 welcomed m0NESY into their ranks at the start of 2022, and since then he has recorded an average rating of 1.14 per round. He also notably has a 1.13 impact record and a 0.59 damage rating in each game.
?Nikola “NiKo” Kova? was another G2 player who produced an impressive individual rating in the 2022 BLAST Premier Fall Groups. At 1.24, the player earned the fourth-highest rating across the tournament. Overall, G2 placed in the fourth position for shared ratings with 1.06, behind FaZe Clan, Team Liquid, and Natus Vincere.?
G2 Esports claimed victory over Team Vitality in the BLAST Premier Fall Groups 2022 Last Chance Stage to seal a spot at the BLAST Premier Fall Finals. The Fall Finals winner will be given a US$200,000 prize as well as a pass to attend the 2022 BLAST Premier World Final, which is slated to take place in December.? ?
G2’s win against Vitality was their first big break since signing new in-game leader Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen and rifler Justin “jks” Savage during the summer break. Both players made their debuts in the BLAST Premier Fall Groups 2022.
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