G2’s run at the Shanghai Major was always meant to be the last dance. But when the music stopped, it was FaZe not G2 with a seat in the Grand Finals. Five excellent years of G2 and NiKo, were ended with a gut-wrenching loss. Nearly a decade into his professional career, NiKo’s search for that elusive major title continues as he now moves to a new home.

Meanwhile, G2 will undergo a rebuild, with coach TaZ at the helm of the project. We sat down with TaZ following the team’s elimination from the Major to discuss G2’s run at the major, future ambitions for G2 and malbsMd, and of course, NiKo.

We all know the rumors that are circulating around the team, and I won't go into too much detail, but there's a good chance this was the last match this team would play together. There's a good case to be made that G2 was the second-best team this year, in terms of achievements. How do you feel about how the story has ended here, and how the final match went?

Definitely I am disappointed in the result. But I am very proud of the team. I believe that we have had great players and still have great players. We can only grow from it, it's not the end of the world, definitely. But yeah, you need to go to the next chapter.

Your run at the major overall was filled with highlights from the great players you talked about. Is there any particular moment that you would point towards, as this was what G2 should have been?

I think that the whole event, every time when we got into a tough spot and managed to come back. This is the G2 I want to be a part of, this is the G2 I want to help build. And I'm just proud of how we handled the pressure.

Could you talk about NiKo's impact on the team, individually and as the secondary caller as well?

NiKo is a great player, and I think of him very highly. He was not only helping me, but also helping others be better. I hope that we managed to give back to him as well, that he became a better player or person. It was just a joy to work with him.

The CEO of G2 was talking in an interview recently about how malbs is a part of the plan for the future, and he'll shift into some of the roles NiKo currently occupies. Can you talk about his potential and performance so far, and what he can grow into?

Mario can be one of the best players, if not the best player in the world. He's just starting. He had a very rough start. It's difficult to start in Guatemala and end up in tier 1 CS. He made it this year, it was his breakthrough year. I couldn't be more proud of him. And definitely this loss is very hard, but needed. You need to grow, and if you can grow earlier, it is better.

Looking at the future, you guys will be playing a lot of events next year. What do you think G2 can do, and what is the ceiling of G2?

We are aiming to be the number one team, and we'll be working towards it. And I believe that with this team, with these players, we can achieve it.

Tomorrow is the last game day of Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024, and after the match of the grand final, we will determine the team that will claim $500,000 and the title of the best team at the end of the year. You can follow the link to watch who will become the winner in the final.