5 Reasons Why G2's Victory Feels Like a Dream

Very little time has passed since G2's win at IEM Dallas, and it's the perfect time to follow the hot trail and figure out whether the European mix team was just lucky, or if G2's victory was well-deserved. In today's article, we'll look at 5 reasons why G2 won at IEM Dallas against all odds.

G2 Played Without a Captain

A few weeks before the tournament started, it became known that Hooxi would miss the tournament due to his sister's wedding. There have been cases in history when a team with a stand-in won a championship – for example, Faze with Jks at IEM Katowice 2022. But when a captain is missing, too much changes and falls apart.

By the way, Hooxi was present at the G2 esports trainings with Stewie2k, and during the tournament, he helped with preparing for opponents.

NiKo Became the Temporary Captain

NiKo had such experience in his career, which makes it surprising that everything worked out for G2. The ever-tilting Bosnian despised captaincy in Faze and wanted to shed this burden so badly that not even a tournament win convinced him to stay with the team – he moved to G2.

Stewie2k Hadn't Played Counter-Strike for Two Years

Choosing Stewie2k seemed like an attempt to pick a popular player and crowd favorite. As a player, he is, of course, far from his prime. It's no wonder, after two years of inactivity, streaming, and a recent stint in Legacy as a stand-in. The tournament confirmed all fears: over 16 maps, Stewie2k’s rating was 0.86.

Nexa Was AFK

Nexa was not shining before, but in this tournament, he completely disappeared. He and Stewie2k had their competition – for the title of the worst. Nexa won – 0.85.

G2 – A Truck of Tilt

Without Hooxi, who apparently pacified everyone, this was especially noticeable. Stewie2k tried to take on the role of the guy who calms everyone down, but his new teammates – especially NiKo, of course – were too prone to ripping off their headphones and banging on the table. Jake mentioned that it seemed like there was a problem in G2 with listening to each other. But even in such chaos, the guys managed to win.

Conclusion

Despite all the difficulties, G2 managed to do the impossible, win the tournament with a stand-in, and what a stand-in. Recall that Stewie2k had been inactive for two years. Certainly, one of the main reasons for G2's victory at IEM Dallas can be considered M0nesy, who became the MVP of the tournament in Dallas. This is, in general, the typical picture: M0nesy – far ahead, behind him – NiKo, much further – Hunter; then – two guys from the back row. Even the temporary departure of Hooxi did not affect the established structure of G2 – Stewie2k played approximately at the level of the Dane.