G2 Left Rio Early Again — But the Org Isn't Slowing Down

G2 left Brazil with a 7th-8th place finish at IEM Rio. That result came during one of the most difficult periods in the team’s CS2 history. NiKo and m0NESY are gone, the roster has already gone through an emergency swap with Liquid, and Rio became a third straight group-stage exit. G2 also had to play the event without captain huNter-, with SunPayus taking over calling and academy player tAk stepping into his first tier-one tournament. However, despite these results, the organization still looks stable away from competition. G2 continues to add new partnerships, maintain a strong sponsor base, and move toward IEM Cologne in June with a clear next target.

A Turbulent Year So Far

G2’s 2026 problems started before Rio. After losing NiKo and m0NESY in 2025, the team lost stability. malbsMd, who had posted a 1.13 rating alongside NiKo, dropped to 1.02 before leaving the roster. The results followed the same trend. G2 exited in the group stage at PGL Cluj-Napoca, then at ESL Pro League Season 23, and later finished 7th-8th at IEM Rio.

On March 13, G2 swapped malbsMd for NertZ in a direct move with Liquid. The deal reunited NertZ with sAw and SunPayus from ENCE, where he posted a 1.13 rating and became HLTV’s Rookie of the Year in 2023. His rating had dropped to 1.05 in Liquid, and G2 now hope he can return to that earlier level. The first result was a Stake Ranked Episode 1 title in Barcelona, where G2 defeated Nemesis, GamerLegion, and BetBoom twice without losing a series.

IEM Rio Without Their Captain

The group

IEM Rio ran from April 13 to 19 in Rio de Janeiro, and G2 landed in one of the toughest groups at the event. Group A included Vitality, Spirit, Liquid, Falcons, and 3DMAX. For a team that had already gone through role and roster changes, this was a difficult bracket before the matches even began.

The lineup

On April 8, huNter- was ruled out after suffering a fracture and a serious ligament sprain, which forced G2 into another late change. tAk came in from G2 Ares for the first Tier-1 LAN of his career after posting a 1.17 rating across 34 maps in the academy team. SunPayus took over in-game leader duties, and NertZ had been with the roster for less than five weeks. As a result, G2 arrived in Brazil without their captain, without their usual IGL structure, and without a stable five.

The result

In those conditions, the result was disappointing, but the level wasn't as bad as the final placement suggests. G2 lost 1-2 to Vitality and only went out after a deciding map, then beat 3DMAX 2-0, and were eliminated by Spirit 0-2 for a 7th-8th place finish. For a roster that had been together for less than two months, arrived without huNter-, used SunPayus as a temporary IGL, and fielded tAk in his first Tier-1 event, that wasn't an ideal result, but it was not a collapse either.

What Rio Still Gave Them

Useful reps for tAk

The clearest positive from Rio was experience. tAk didn't arrive as a long-term solution, but he left with valuable tier-one stage reps that G2 can build on. For a player coming from G2 Ares into a tournament featuring teams like Vitality and Spirit, that matters. Rio also showed that he could handle the pace of tier-one play without the event falling apart around him.

More time for the core

Rio also gave NertZ more maps within sAw’s system. That matters more than a single result right now. G2 doesn't need one good week from this lineup. They need repetition with the players expected to compete in Cologne. Even the 3DMAX series, the cleanest match of the run, mattered mainly because it gave NertZ, SunPayus, HeavyGod, and MATYS another official to continue building structure under pressure.

G2’s Brand Still Looks Stable

On April 10, two days after huNter-’s injury was announced, G2 named Skin.Club as its official CS2 Skin Partner. This matters because the deal was signed during a difficult period for the roster, not after a strong tournament run. Skin.Club already works with Team Vitality and karrigan, so G2 joins a partner portfolio that includes major names in Counter-Strike 2.

Even during this difficult CS2 period, G2 remained No. 12 in HLTV’s world ranking and continued to work with major brands such as Ralph Lauren, Logitech, Red Bull, Herman Miller Gaming, and AGON by AOC. For sponsors, G2 isn't judged solely on one weak run of CS2 events. It remains one of the biggest esports organizations in the world, with long-term brand strength built across multiple titles, including 18 LEC trophies and a Worlds final appearance in 2019.

The Road to Cologne

BLAST comes first

The next event is BLAST Rivals, which starts on April 27. Based on the timeline following the Rio injury, huNter- could return there if his recovery goes as expected. That would give G2 their regular captain back and restore the team’s usual calling structure after Rio, where SunPayus had to take over in-game leader duties.

Then the real target

The main goal is IEM Cologne Major, scheduled for June 11 to June 21, where G2 have already secured a place through the VRS cutoff. That gives the team more time to work with its intended lineup before the most important event of this stretch. If huNter- returns, NertZ gets more time in sAw’s system, and SunPayus moves back into his usual role as the team’s primary AWPer, Cologne will be the first event where G2 can be judged in its normal setup rather than under emergency conditions.

Still Moving Forward

Rio added another early exit, and three straight group-stage eliminations are now part of G2’s current CS2 record. That is the problem the team needs to fix before Cologne. As an organization, G2 have faced difficult periods before, including the transitions after kennyS and shox left, as well as disappointing performances at Majors. Each time, the team eventually managed to rebuild. The current CS2 situation is serious, but it remains part of a longer cycle that major organizations go through. Poor results usually increase pressure within the lineup, though they also increase motivation. G2 still need better results in competition, but this looks like a difficult phase, not a final collapse.