On July 1, something long-awaited by many G2 Esports fans finally happened — Rasmus "HooXi" Nielsen was benched. A few days later, the club announced the transfer of Janusz "Snax" Pogorzelski, which shocked the CS2 community. Additionally, Mario "malbsMd" Samayoa had earlier joined the team, replacing Nemanja "nexa" Isaković in the main roster. In this article, we will discuss the prospects of G2's new lineup.
Transfer of malbsMd
malbsMd is a professional CS2 player from Guatemala. He is 21 years old. Before joining G2, he played exclusively in North American teams. His last club was M80, where he showcased his best performance. Over the past six months, he played 25 maps in S-tier events with an average rating of 6.4.
What did G2 gain with his arrival? For $500,000, the team acquired a good entry fragger with colossal experience on the American tier-2 scene. By replacing nexa with malbsMd, G2 significantly boosted its overall firepower. At first glance, this transfer looks quite justified.
Advantages of Replacing HooXi with Snax
The first and key argument in favor of Snax is the importance of interaction between the coach and the captain. This has been repeatedly proven by the successful results of duos like Mikhail "Kane" Blagin and Daniil "Zeus" Teslenko, as well as Danny "zonic" Sørensen and Lukas "gla1ve" Rossander. These pairs achieved success thanks to their synergy and understanding of each other. Snax played together with TaZ for a long time, and this experience allowed him to adopt many IGL skills. Their joint path, including victories and defeats, strengthened their mutual understanding, which is an important factor for future achievements. In such a combination, TaZ has more chances to develop as a coach, and Snax as a captain.
The second indisputable advantage of Snax is his rich experience. Over his 14-year professional career, he has accumulated a vast amount of knowledge and skills. He has already proven his resilience and composure on the pro scene, making him resistant to pressure. His performance as a captain in GamerLegion demonstrated that he knows how to manage a team and make the right decisions in difficult situations.
The third advantage of Snax compared to HooXi is his statistics. Despite a limited number of major tournaments in 2024, he showed decent results at the most important competitions. This indicates his serious approach to top events. Despite his age, Snax continues to demonstrate a hunger for victories.
Disadvantages of the Snax Transfer
One of the obvious problems with Snax's transition is his age. He turned 31 on July 5, which is considered quite advanced in esports. G2's management will likely expect quick results, and if there are failures in tournaments, Snax might not stay with the team for long. In this regard, a parallel can be drawn with Filip "NEO" Kubski, who joined FaZe Clan as a captain in 2019. He could not change the situation in the team, and after several unsuccessful performances over four months, NEO left the club. Snax now has the task of at least leading G2 to the playoffs of the major in China, and ideally, reaching the final. However, if the results are unsatisfactory, he may face a similar fate. Before the major, G2 will have several large events where the team can establish synergy and evaluate the potential of the new IGL.
Another important nuance concerns Snax's experience as a captain. While his overall gaming experience is unquestionable, the role of a leader is relatively new to him. His time in GamerLegion was his first full-fledged IGL experience, and the results were mixed. After Snax joined the team, GamerLegion lost positions in various team rankings. This decline is partly explained by the fact that before Snax's arrival, the team was high in the rankings due to a successful performance at the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023, but after the departure of key players iM and siuhy, everything went downhill. Snax still has to prove his effectiveness as a captain at the tier-1 level.
Conclusion
Choosing Snax to replace HooXi is a bold and risky move for G2. It's clear that TaZ played a key role in promoting his former teammate to this position, and in case of failures, some of the responsibility will fall on his shoulders. Janusz faces a challenging task — he needs to work with a team consisting of outstanding star players, requiring a special approach. He needs to help m0NESY fully unleash his potential, give NiKo the opportunity to showcase his best game, and integrate the newcomer malbsMd into the team's structure.
The first serious test for the renewed G2 roster will be the Esports World Cup 2024, which will be held from July 17 to 21 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. At this tournament, with a prize pool of one million dollars, 15 of the best teams in the world will participate. Preparation and participation in this event will be an important indicator for assessing the potential of the new G2 roster.
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