G2 vs Virtus.Pro – EWC 2024 Semi-Finals

After incredible wins for both G2 and Virtus.Pro, the two teams face off in the EWC Semi-Finals. The season's first Grand Finals is on the line, and both teams look set to deliver fireworks in that quest. Who will come out on top?

Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov has been the superstar dominating CS2's short history so far. Yet at EWC, the youngster is being bested by his teammate NiKo. That means it's Dzhami "Jame" Ali at the top of the AWPing charts with w0nderful in tow. VP's absolute dominance over Complexity slightly boosts that, but there's no doubt the whole squad is looking ready to rock.

Over on the G2 side, it looks like a 2023-esque performance, with all 4 stars delivering a solid level and Nikola 'NiKo' Kovač going above and beyond.

While nothing can be said about Janusz "Snax" Pogorzelski's calling just yet, it's clear that the addition of Mario "malbsMd" Samayoa is working wonders. And in this matchup, expect m0NESY to step back up to his dominant level. That sets us up for a thrilling match to decide the first finalist.

Catch the stream for Virtus.Pro vs G2 live on EWC’s official Twitch channel, or you can watch it on the various co-streams running for the event, like ohnepixel or HeatoN. Or better yet, watch right here with the embedded stream below.

Check back in later to get a map-by-map recap of the semi-final match.

Virtus.Pro started off with a three-round pistol round conversion, with Fame and Fl1t leading the charge early on. The gun round kickstarted G2's defense as the m0NESY-males duo on A locked VP out. G2 showed great protocols to tie the game 3-3, and even when guns came back out for VP, NiKo was at long to shut the attack down with 3 kills. G2's defense remained impenetrable on gun rounds as they racked up a 7-round haul. So dominant was G2 that m0NESY even slipped the knife into n0rb3r7's back to close the half out 9-3.

The T-side immediately saw malbsMd come alive in his entry role as G2 traded him into an A-site pistol win. G2 losing to pistols seems like a tradition at this point, but even that was thwarted as the team continued to dominate. VP finally had some respite as they picked up a 4th, but Snax and Co. closed the map out quickly with the Kovač cousins topping the charts.

Ancient started with G2 showing their sheer individual skill once more as malbsMd took 3 in the opener. That set the T side off on a dominant run as they racked up 9 rounds in a row. Before the end of the half, they managed to get 3 in a row, but that was a far cry from what they would've hoped for.

The second half saw G2 extend their lead to 11 before the T-side gun round finally allowed them to start building a buffer. The Jame-led side took 3 in a row. A rare miss from the VP sniper opened the door for G2 to take match point. Backs against the wall, VP now required 6 flawless rounds just to survive. They got the first, but on an eco, m0NESY showed why he's the best player in the world. With a beautiful 1v3, he locked in the Grand Finals.

EWC has been an important proving ground for both G2 and Virtus.Pro. The former came in with a brand-new roster, looking to prove that their roster changes were an improvement. And the Russian side themselves are under the constant pressure of a potential electronic IGL situation.

Now, G2 carry their flag to the Grand Finals. Their opponent will be MOUZ or NaVi. MOUZ thrive in smaller venues, like this one, and look set to continue their sheer dominance at all but the greatest events.

Meanwhile, NaVi has been powering up throughout the event, with Valerij "b1t" Vakhovsjkyj going toe to toe with Jimi "Jimpphat" Salo with blistering hot 1.50+ ratings. Everyone knows just how good a team can be when b1t is in imperial form. While G2's honeymoon continues, whoever comes through the upper bracket, will surely be the favorite to win.

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