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G2 Esports reflect on IEM Cologne triumph and the future of CS:GO
G2 Esports left their mark on Intel Extreme Masters, lifting the final CS:GO IEM trophy in Cologne before the game’s sequel arrives. They reflect on that big moment here.
G2 Esports triumphed at the Cathedral of Counter-Strike, lifting the trophy after defeating ENCE in the grand finals. Twenty-four teams met in a sold-out Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany, to compete in the last IEM Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament before the switchover to Counter-Strike 2, and they certainly made it one to remember.
"It feels great winning one of the most prestigious events in CS:GO, especially with it being the last one," says G2 player Nikola 'NiKo' Kovač. "Super proud of the boys for this one."
IEM Cologne has been host to many famous clashes over the years and 2023 was no exception, with G2 going on a thrilling run of wins over rivals, including FaZe Clan, Team Vitality, and Astralis. G2's road to the finals was not without challenges – both Vitality and Astralis managed to take maps from them – but ultimately, it was ENCE who would face G2 in the final after besting 9INE, Fnatic and Heroic in their Group Stage run to book their semi-final place in the playoffs.
“I think a win versus FaZe gave us a lot of confidence going into the game versus Vitality, but a win versus Vitality gave us the taste of us being able to lift the trophy,” says Rasmus ‘HooXi’ Nielsen.
G2 took both IEM events in 2023: Katowice and Cologne
© Adela Sznajder/ESL
The final match would see G2 and ENCE meet in a thrilling best-of-five in front of some 37,000 fans in the stadium and thousands more at home. G2 appeared dominant in the first rounds, winning on both ENCE's map pick (Nuke) and their own (Mirage). Justin 'jks' Savage dominated on Nuke, leading the scoreboard as G2 stormed ahead.
Mirage was a more balanced affair, with the teams trading rounds before ENCE ended the first half in the lead. A standout pair of pistol kills from ENCE's Paweł 'dycha' Dycha and Alvaro 'SunPayus' Garcia emerged as a highlight of this half. However, G2 stepped up in the second half, managing to take the round 16-10.
It didn't take long for ENCE to clap back, winning the series on Anubis. This scrappy series saw G2 take the first pistol round before an impressive comeback from ENCE, who managed to control the next few early rounds. While it was by no means a cakewalk, ENCE managed to win the series 16-13.
Series 4 took the game to Ancient, with G2 taking the initial lead. ENCE kept them on their toes, however, evening the score to 9-9. But G2 answered, with NiKo scoring a clutch double kill in one particularly hairy round. From here, G2 kept up the pressure, taking round after round to end the series 16-9.
This stunning performance secured the map and the tournament for G2, allowing them to join FaZe and Fnatic as one of the only teams to win both IEM Katowice and Cologne in the same year. With this tournament, G2 cemented their place in Counter-Strike history.
"Whenever we find the confidence and momentum, no one can stop us," says HooXi. "It feels like we have the highest peak of all the top teams, and when we fire on all cylinders, things like Katowice and Cologne can happen for us."
“That was definitely the best CS we have ever played ever since I joined G2,” adds NiKo. “So yeah, I feel pretty happy with how we played but also how we handled and approached all the games. If we manage to keep this level, it’s gonna be a good season for us.”
Rising star Ilya ‘m0NESY’ Osipov really showed up during the final moments of the tournament, and it’s clear both NiKo and HooXi see him rising even higher. ”I’ve said it before, and I will say it again: it’s a matter of time before he will be the best player in the world.”
m0NESY has the potential to be the best in the world according to his team
© Adela Sznajder/ESL
“He still has a lot to learn, and he still has a lot of room to grow as a star player and the responsibilities that follow with that,” he continues. “Luckily for him, he has a great role model in NiKo.”
“He has the potential to be the best player in the world,” adds NiKo. “I’m happy to have him by my side.”
With one of the last CS:GO tournaments done and dusted, fans and pros are looking to the future – Counter-Strike 2's launch, which is currently slated for later this summer. How the changes introduced in this next iteration of the shooter franchise will change up the esports scene remains to be seen, but you can bet both G2 and ENCE will strive to be the first champions when it finally drops.
"We don’t know how the game will look, and the meta will also have to settle in the competitive scene, which will take some time," says HooXi.
“I still haven’t thought about CS2 at all, we don’t know when it’s gonna be out, so I don’t really want to spend energy on it yet,” says NiKo. “I’m just focused on CS:GO events for now. I’m excited about the new game, though,” he concludes.
Trophy in hand, what’s next for G2 CS:GO?
“CS2? Maybe?” asks HooXi.
“Back to the grind,” affirms NiKo.
