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esports
How world champions G2 Gozen changed the game in 2022
G2 Gozen racked up an incredible record this year, claiming two consecutive Game Changers trophies and taking first place in the World Championship. Here's how they did it.
Few esports teams have had a year so full of twists and turns as G2 Gozen. The team has risen to great heights, defeated long-standing rivals, and been part of some incredibly tense games of VALORANT at a championship level.
Just what is it that makes this team so special? Not only have G2 Gozen been absolute whirlwinds in the competitive VALORANT scene, winning three major trophies just this year, but they each bring their own unique dynamic to the team. Each member of the squad has a vibrant affection for the game, a dedication born in their younger years which has flourished and the ability to be exceptional team players.
As 2022 comes to a close there is no better time to look back on what G2 Gozen have achieved, as they racked up a number of impressive victories.
A competitive start
Speaking at the end of 2022, Michaela 'mimi' Lintrup revealed that their plan for 2022 was a simple one: "Our main goal was to qualify for the Championship, to secure that spot. To do that, we had to win every event, and if not then at least hit the finals in the EMEA. We wanted to be the best female team of 2022".
As 2021 turned into 2022, G2 Gozen looked a little different. Having been with the team since their signing with G2 in October of 2021, Anja 'aNNja' Vasalic stepped away at the start of the year – eventually going on to seek success with Guild X. In her place came Anastasia 'Glance' Anisimova, who the team say "just vibed right" with the group. "It's really important to have the right vibe," mimi revealed, "to be able to really connect with each other inside and outside of the game."
After blasting their way to the finals of EMEA Game Changers Series 1, G2 Gozen were up against Guild X, a team who would come to rival them many times in 2022. Although the final had moments of serious tension between the two teams, G2 still appeared the stronger of the pair and dropped just one map. They went on to win 13-7 on Ascent, and 13-4 on Bind, taking the first GC trophy of 2022. This was a team with confidence and style. Calm, collected and untroubled by the competition, G2 Gozen prepared for Series 2. If fans were pleased with the results of Series 1, the following Series was about to blow their minds.
Glance made a real name for herself in this year's lineup
© Michal Konkol/Riot Games
An unrivalled performance
There was no question of G2 Gozen's supremacy once Series 2 got underway. Their gameplay was even tighter than before, fluid and stylish, with the individual personality emanating from each of the women on the team coming together to form something even stronger. Dominating the competition from day one, their Round 3 match against Guild X offered perhaps the most resistance, further deepening the rivalry between the two teams. Still, despite being pushed into overtime, the G2 spirit prevailed and Gozen came out on top, handing Guild a painful defeat.
The two met again in the finals, an auspicious repeat of Series 1's showdown. It was another tense game, with more overtime and moments where Guild's focus on defence started to pay dividends, but G2 Gozen managed to sweep to victory. Julia 'juliano' Kiran and a pre-retirement Zainab 'zAAz' Turkie teamed up to take out every single member of Guild, rounding off the tournament in a stunning ace that will no doubt go down in history.
The road to the Championship
Before the final Series hit, G2 Gozen would lose zAAz, who retired in May after 17 years on the competitive scene. In her place came Maryam 'Mary' Maher. Despite being only 16 years old, Mary immediately gelled with the team, becoming an instant hit with fans. As mimi says, "Mary is a very outgoing person, she's not shy, she really integrated herself so fast, and we all instantly felt comfortable".
Although Series 3 was not an out-and-out win for Gozen, they played with the same fire and fervour we've come to expect. The team obliterated the competition in the early stages, once again taking everyone down with a perfect record until the upper semi-finals against Guild X. This minor upset foreshadowed a larger one in the finals, as Guild X appeared again opposite G2 Gozen, and this time managed to secure the win. The rivalry deepened yet again, but G2 still walked away with a solid 2nd place and a ticket to the Game Changers Championship 2022.
Mary was an instant hit with fans
© Michal Konkol/Riot Games
The team also took strength from their defeats, with mimi revealing that "we figured out that the roles didn't fit" from the performance in Series 3. "Mary's a hard fragger, that's what she's really good at, and that's why we picked her up. So having her in an initiator role and supporting others when she needed support made no sense, we figured out after GC 3 that it had to be switched around."
The top eight VALORANT teams from across the world prepared to face off at the Game Changers Championship in Berlin, not yet knowing what G2 Gozen had in store for them. Teams from North America, EMEA, East Asia, Brazil, Latin America and APAC descended on the tournament in person for the first time ever, and each team looked poised for a career-defining battle.
"I remember entering the first game and my mind went blank," Mary revealed, "I was like, 'wait, what are we doing?' The nerves truly got to me the first day, but my team-mates helped a lot and made me more comfortable."
From the first moment of the Championship, in their match against APAC's X10 Sapphire, G2 Gozen were on fire. They tore through the competition, winning a decisive victory over Cloud9 White and heading into the Upper Bracket Finals in what felt like no time at all. Coming up against Team Liquid Brazil – a team who also had a flawless Game Changers circuit in their own region – things began to heat up for G2 Gozen. The match went into overtime, as the two highly skilled teams battled it out, with a final, crucial win going to G2 Gozen.
mimi is already looking forward to a jam packed 2023
© Fabio Piva / Red Bull Content Pool
The final stand
G2 Gozen had made it to the finals of the Game Changers international Championship, and the only thing that stood in the way of a record-breaking year was Shopify Rebellion GC, a NA squad that had defied all odds and come up from the Lower Bracket to the Grand Final. Clearly, this team had some serious firepower, and G2 Gozen were looking almost evenly matched.
The first few matches of the game were difficult for G2, who struggled against the might of Shopify's newfound strength. Incredibly, however, G2 fought back, pulling off a stunning reverse sweep that propelled them all the way to the trophy itself.
G2 Gozen can now call themselves the best Game Changers team in the world, but how will they fare going into 2023? Mimi says the team are already looking forward and resetting their mindset for the new year ahead. "We will for sure be the team to beat, but there's no reason for that to put pressure on us. We're going to do the same thing. We're not going to be swayed by anyone. We're not going to give ourselves false confidence. We'll take it one game at a time and have fun."
