G2 have reached the Esports World Cup playoffs in Paris, but coach Eetu “sAw” Saha says the team is still working out how to get the best from its latest roster move. The top-16 result came in the lineup’s first playoff campaign since Artem “r1nkle” Moroz joined as the AWPer in place of Álvaro “SunPayus” García.
The group stage included a close but controlled Mirage win over M80. Against BIG, G2 played well on Cache and Inferno before struggling on Ancient, where mistakes on the T side allowed the map to reach overtime after the team failed to convert a match point.
“It’s going to be a question about experience,” Saha said in the full audio interview. “Some of these, let’s say overpeeks and small situations that we need to iron out that will come with experience.”
Why G2 chose r1nkle over SunPayus
Saha explained that the decision to move on from SunPayus came after G2 spent much of his time with the team at roughly the same level without reaching its internal targets. The coach said the change was based on several factors rather than one specific problem, including questions about how much more the previous lineup could achieve.
“We needed something more aggressive,” Saha said. SunPayus remains a talented player, he added, but G2 wanted an AWPer who would take more space, look for opening kills, and create plays that could change the shape of a round.
That profile is what attracted G2 to r1nkle. Saha described the new AWPer as mechanically gifted and comfortable with rifles, pistols, and other weapons in addition to his primary role. He believes r1nkle could eventually become a more complete player than SunPayus was for G2, though the adjustment will take time.
R1nkle’s aggressive style also brings a risk. Saha expects inconsistency during the early part of the transition as the player learns the team’s system and G2 adapts its structure around him. The coach wants r1nkle to provide an extra winning factor in high-pressure situations without giving away rounds through unnecessary overpeeks.
G2 still need to solve their entry roles
Adding aggression has not solved every problem in the lineup. Saha said NertZ, MATYS, huNter-, and HeavyGod are not natural entry players, while G2 do not plan to turn r1nkle into their entry. That leaves the team with a difficult balance to solve, particularly on the T side, where huNter- is also developing as the in-game leader.
MATYS has tried some entry positions, but Saha does not see him as a direct replacement for malbsMd. The coach said MATYS is more calculated in how he takes fights and can be more useful as a second player behind huNter- or as a trade fragger than as someone who simply charges into a bombsite.
Both players have strong mechanics, but they create advantages in different ways. Saha viewed malbsMd as someone who could make space with wide swings, while MATYS is more deliberate and works better when he has time to build his duels. G2 will need those differences to fit together rather than forcing one player into another’s role.
The roster has fewer voices, along with fewer ideas
G2 also lost some of SunPayus’ communication when the roster changed. Saha said the team now feels calmer and less crowded in mid-round discussions, with NertZ and huNter- taking on more of the work in those situations. At the same time, SunPayus contributed ideas and small details such as tracking the economy, and those elements are no longer available in the same way.
The coach has already seen advantages and drawbacks from the new setup, but he wants more practice and official matches before making further adjustments. For now, G2’s playoff run will give r1nkle and his teammates another chance to build the timing, roles, and communication that the new system requires.
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