G2 Esports became the best CS:GO team just months after failing to qualify for the IEM Rio Major in October 2022, according to most esports commentators, until the Dane led G2 to the BLAST Premier World Final in December 2022, G2's first big trophy since the DreamHack Masters Malmö in 2017.
G2 resurrected in 2023, bringing their winning form and confidence to IEM Katowice, the first $1 million CS:GO event since 2012. They also set a new record of consecutive map victories in CS:GO, only behind Ninjas in Pyjamas' historic 87-0 record between 2012 and 2013.
What happened to G2 following the IEM Rio Major incident, which has made them the best CS:GO team in the world in less than four months? According to star player Justin "jks" Savage, everyone is now more at ease, including him and HooXi. They joined NiKo, huNter, and m0NESY on G2 in August 2022, but it's only today that everyone believes in each other.
After winning IEM Katowice yesterday, jks told Dot Esports. “Everyone is becoming more comfortable with their position in the team in and outside the game, everybody believes in each other a lot more, and I think we're all on the same page.“It took me a few months to develop a really solid team,” says the jks.
Based on their player statistics during IEM Katowice's group stage and playoffs, G2 finished among the top ten players with 1.24, 1.21, and 1.17 ratings, respectively, according to HLTV. The AWPer m0NESY nearly made it as he finished with a 1.14 rating.
HooXi's individual rating remained low at IEM Katowice, but that's fine as long as his tactical system works properly and he gets the most out of the four star players. Following his effort in guiding the team to the BLAST Premier World Final at the end of 2022, it appears like the Dane gained the trust of everyone on the team.
G2's challenge in the future will be to remain at the top. The game is as competitive as ever, and there is no particular team that poses a threat to G2, according to jks. Any top team has the potential to win tournaments in 2023, according to the Australian rifler.
"We have to keep an eye on all teams at the top," said jks. "It's the most competitive it has ever been, and anyone from the top 10 can play well on a day or a tournament." It's just a matter of focusing on our own game, making sure we're always upping our game.
Vitality won the ESL Pro League season 16, Outsiders won the IEM Rio Major's trophy, and Heroic won their first big event at the BLAST Premier Fall Final. On top of these teams, FaZe, NAVI, and Liquid also have the potential to win tournaments.
The next major CS:GO tournament will be ESL Pro League season 17, which will be played between February 22 and March 26. Every top team will evaluate how G2 performed at IEM Katowice and practice to take them down. Jks and crew are in Group A along with Cloud9, Outsiders, and Fnatic and must advance to the playoffs to maintain their confidence.