G2 Esports is one of Europe’s biggest esports brands and a regular contender in Counter-Strike. The team won IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne in 2023, rebuilt after its stars left for Falcons, and in 2026 it is back in the playoffs of the big events with a new, more aggressive AWPer.
This profile covers G2’s roster, its history in Counter-Strike and what to expect from the team at the PGL Major Singapore.
G2 at a glance
| Organization | G2 Esports (Germany, founded in Spain) |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Majors won | None yet (runners-up at PGL Stockholm 2021) |
| In-game leader | huNter- |
| Coach | sAw |
Current roster
| Player | Role | What he brings |
|---|---|---|
| huNter- | In-game leader, rifler | Veteran from Bosnia and Herzegovina, part of G2’s core since 2020 |
| NertZ | Rifler | Israeli rifler, G2’s standout against Spirit in Hong Kong |
| MATYS | Rifler | Slovak rifler who joined from Fnatic in 2025 |
| HeavyGod | Rifler | Israeli rifler who joined in January 2025 |
| r1nkle | AWPer | Ukrainian sniper signed in June 2026 to bring more aggression |
Coach: sAw, from Finland.
How G2 got here
G2 entered Counter-Strike in 2014 and spent its first years as a strong French team. The organization’s best era came in the early 2020s, when it built an international roster around NiKo. That team reached the final of the PGL Stockholm Major in 2021, losing to Natus Vincere, and in 2023 it won two of the most prestigious tournaments on the calendar: IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne, with a young m0NESY on the AWP.
The end of that era came in late 2024 and early 2025, when both NiKo and m0NESY left for Team Falcons. G2 rebuilt around huNter-, adding HeavyGod in January 2025 and MATYS from Fnatic. The new team won BLAST Open London 2025 but lost the PGL Bucharest 2025 final to Falcons, a painful result against their former stars.
In June 2026 G2 benched AWPer SunPayus and signed r1nkle from Ninjas in Pyjamas. Coach sAw explained that the previous lineup had reached its limit and that the team needed an AWPer who could create space and take opening picks, because most of the riflers play a more passive style. r1nkle’s first event was the Esports World Cup in Paris, where G2 reached the playoffs.
How they play
With huNter- calling, G2 play a measured, experienced style. The riflers like to take control of the map slowly and trade efficiently, and the team is at its best on maps where it can set up favorable fights.
The arrival of r1nkle is meant to add a new layer. An aggressive AWPer forces opponents to respect early peeks, which opens up space for NertZ and MATYS. The risk is that a more aggressive sniper also loses the AWP more often, so the trades behind him have to be quick.
G2’s biggest asset is its resilience. In Hong Kong the team came back from losing the first map against MOUZ to win the series, and pushed Spirit to three maps.
2026 so far
- June: SunPayus benched, r1nkle signed from Ninjas in Pyjamas.
- Esports World Cup (Paris): playoffs in r1nkle’s first event.
- BLAST Rivals Hong Kong: opened with a comeback over MOUZ (Nuke 7-13, Ancient 16-14, Inferno 13-7), then lost 2-1 to Team Spirit after taking Mirage 13-9. They finished second in Group B and reached the quarter-finals against Falcons, a rematch of the Bucharest 2025 final.
What to watch at the Major
G2 compete at the PGL Major Singapore, which starts on November 24. The organization has never won a Major, and the key question is whether the r1nkle move has made the team dangerous enough to beat the top four in a playoff series.
FAQ
Has G2 ever won a CS2 Major?
No. G2’s best Major result is the final of PGL Stockholm 2021, which they lost to Natus Vincere.
Who is G2’s AWPer?
r1nkle, the Ukrainian sniper who joined from Ninjas in Pyjamas in June 2026, replacing SunPayus.
Who is G2’s in-game leader?
huNter-, the team’s veteran rifler.
More team profiles
Compare G2 with the rest of the elite in The Tier S CS2 Teams of 2026, or read about the team that took their stars, Team Falcons. Follow the November event at BLAST Rivals Hong Kong 2026.