This signing follows the addition of Polish AWPer Roland “ultimate” Tomkowiak and the appointment of new head coach Torbj?rn “mithR” Nyborg, marking a significant overhaul after a disappointing first half of 2024.
The decision to rebuild came after the team��s underwhelming performance, including a 5th-6th place finish at IEM Chengdu 2024 and missing out on the Esports World Cup 2024.
The management responded by parting ways with key players Casper “cadiaN” M?ller, Felipe “skullz” Medeiros, and coach Wilton “zews” Prado, while retaining core members Keith “?NAF?” Markovic, Russel “?Twistzz?” Van Dulken, and Mareks “?YEKINDAR?” Ga?inskis.
Welcome @jks_CS to Team Liquid
pic.twitter.com/MYo5RB3tPA
— Team Liquid CS (@TeamLiquidCS) July 12, 2024
jks, a two-time HLTV Top 20 Player, has been out of action since November, when he was removed from G2 Esports’ starting lineup.
He brings a wealth of experience, having secured titles such as the 2022 BLAST Premier World Final, IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne in 2023, during his 18-month stint with G2.
“I’m happy to be back and excited to be a part of this team,” jks expressed on X.
“Thank you, Liquid, for the opportunity.”
Ultimate, only 20 years old, is seen as a promising young talent to fill the AWPer role.
He previously played for Illuminar Gaming and helped them achieve a 2nd place finish at CCT Season 2 European Season #5.
With these additions, Liquid’s roster includes players from both Europe and North America, along with one from the Asia-Pacific region, giving the team some flexibility in qualifying for the upcoming Shanghai Major.
Their new lineup will debut at the BLAST Premier Fall Groups from July 29 to August 4 in Copenhagen.
This revamped roster aims to bring new energy and improved results, setting the stage for an exciting season ahead.
Welcome @ultimatecs_go to Team Liquid CS
We believe that this young, aggressive AWPer is ready to prove himself and will compliment the other players on our roster with his playstyle.
Welcome to the big leagues, Roland
pic.twitter.com/78j9nNrHlD
— Team Liquid CS (@TeamLiquidCS) July 12, 2024
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This move aligns with earlier reports by HLTV, putting an end to the speculation surrounding G2’s roster changes.
Nexa, a seasoned player at 26, is no stranger to the G2 organization, having previously served as the in-game leader (IGL) for the team in 2021.
Despite not securing major trophies during his initial tenure, G2 remained a formidable force, securing second-place finishes at IEM Cologne 2021 and the PGL Major Stockholm, and reaching the No. 2 spot in the global rankings.
Having played alongside Nemanja “?huNter-?” Kova? and Nikola “?NiKo?” Kova? during his first stint at G2, nexa brings familiarity to the current line up.
However, the lack of tangible success eventually led to changes, and nexa moved to OG in 2022, with Aleksi “?Aleksib?” Virolainen taking over as G2’s IGL.
Unfortunately, nexa’s time at OG did not yield significant achievements, with the team achieving modest success at LAN events.
Despite briefly reaching the No. 8 spot in the world rankings, OG slid out of the top 30 in 2023.
The return of nexa to G2 comes as a replacement for jks, who is stepping down from the active roster.
While speculation abounded that nexa might reassume the role of IGL, he has clarified that, for now, he will focus on his primary role as a rifler.
This move follows NiKo’s decision to stay with G2, turning down an offer from Falcons.
G2’s CS2 division has undergone recent turbulence with roster uncertainties, but the organization is experiencing its most successful year in Counter-Strike esports.
With victories at the BLAST Premier World Final in December 2022, IEM Katowice in February, and IEM Cologne in August, G2 has solidified its presence as a top-tier team.
Nexa’s return to G2 brings anticipation for the upcoming BLAST Premier World Final scheduled between December 13 and 17, where the team will aim to continue its success.
While the exact debut date for nexa in this new stint remains unclear, fans can expect an experienced and familiar presence to bolster G2’s competitive edge.
WELCOME BACK @nexaOG pic.twitter.com/ozHJg1ZTaj
— G2 CS (@G2CSGO) November 21, 2023
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The number one CS:GO team in the world ended their IEM Katowice 2023 campaign undefeated, winning five straight series while only dropping one map on their way to a $400,000 winner’s cheque.
This G2 roster has now won back-to-back tournaments, after they ended their 2022 season with a win in the BLAST Premier World Final in Abu Dhabi back in December.
THE LATEST INDUCTEES INTO THE HALL OF HEROES.
YOUR #IEM KATOWICE 2023 CHAMPIONS
@G2esports
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) February 12, 2023
The win in Katowice, Poland, is regarded as a massive breakthrough for many reasons for this G2 roster, with their star player Nikola ��NiKo�� Kovac winning his first IEM Katowice title at his fourth attempt.
Meanwhile, the IEM Katowice MVP, Justin ��jks�� Savage, has picked up back-to-back IEM Katowice titles having also won the event as a stand-in with FaZe Clan in 2022, becoming the first player to win the title in consecutive years with different teams.
JUSTIN KATOWICE SAVAGE.
THE ONLY PLAYER TO WIN #IEM KATOWICE BACK TO BACK WITH DIFFERENT TEAMS.
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) February 12, 2023
Now that G2 have broken the so called ��G2 curse�� and been successful in consecutive tournaments, we could now see the international squad go on a run similar to that of FaZe Clan, who won IEM Katowice, ESL Pro League, PGL Major Antwerp and IEM Cologne in 2022.
As for Heroic, they have now made the grand final at IEM Katowice and the IEM Rio Major but fallen short on both occasions, which is starting to become somewhat of a trend at big tournaments for the Danish roster.
Both teams will now move onto ESL Pro League Season 17 in Malta, where they will begin the event as the top two contenders in the $850,000 tournament.
G2 Esports are $3.50 outright favourites with Heroic next at $5.50 on most esports betting sites for the next event on the 2023 CS:GO calendar.
]]>G2 came into the BLAST Premier World Final as $10 outsiders with esports betting sites, after a sub-par performance in the BLAST Premier Fall Finals, and they only qualified for due to their BLAST Leaderboard finishing position.
However, G2 took the first map and their map pick (Inferno) 16-7.
They kept the momentum going with a very close victory on map two (Mirage) 16-12, ending Team Liquid’s nine-game win streak on a map they are no.1 in the world on.
The win in Abu Dhabi was the first tournament win for G2, as well as their first map victory in a S-Tier grand final in over 1000 days.
For the G2 in-game leader, Rasmus ��HooXi�� Nielsen, this win tops off a very emotional week for him after his father passed away as the team were travelling to Abu Dhabi earlier in the week.
HooXi has won his first S-Tier event as a Counter-Strike professional, surpassing his career-best finish of a quarter-final exit with Copenhagen Flames in the PGL Major Antwerp.
As for the young rising star on this roster, m0NESY, he was brilliant throughout the World Final, as well as in the grand final, earning him the HLTV BLAST Premier World Final MVP, becoming one of the youngest to ever win an MVP, as a 17-year-old.
Jks was awarded the player of the match for the grand final, with a series-high rating of 1.35 out of 2, ending with a +16 kill/death difference for the series.
Now that G2 have broken through and won their first tournament with this new, super-team roster, 2023 could be the year for the BLAST Premier World Final champions.
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