G2 Join Vitality in the 3-0 Club as they beat ENCE in a close 2-1 battle to qualify for the PGL Antwerp Legends Stage.
G2 are Legends! The International roster is the second team to qualify for the PGL Antwerp Legends Stage after beating out ENCE in a close 2-1 series. G2 didn't lose a single series as they go 3-0 in the PGL Antwerp Challengers Stage.
On day 1, G2 had got on paper the toughest draw for their opening game. Their rival was NA's best in Team Liquid. But G2 showed just how good their form was and how weak Liquid's roster is by defeating them 16-6 on Inferno. They followed that up with a Dust2 game versus Spirit. Right from the veto, the game was going to be a disaster for G2, but with the Kovač cousins combining for 57, Spirit eventually fell in Overtime despite Patsi's AWP magic.
G2's Pick - Dust2 - PGL Antwerp's most played map
The game kicked off on G2's pick of Dust2, a map they have always been good on. The game started off with ENCE picking up the pistol round with a Dycha clutch. Immediately though, G2 answered with 3 rounds in a row off the back of a m0NESY 3k, a pattern that repeated itself throughout the half. ENCE struggled to string rounds together only managing a 6 round CT hold.
G2's CT Side, by comparison, was a total shutdown, with Snappi's troops winning only one round before facing a 0-1 deficit in their most important game so far at PGL Antwerp. m0NESY was absolutely massive in this game, putting to rest any doubts about him choking under pressure at least until the stage games.
ENCE's Pick - Ancient - Poor winrates, Amazing win
What could've been G2's final game in the PGL Antwerp Challengers stage, started off with an ENCE blitz. 5 rounds in a row on the T side of Ancient was already a good half for Snappi's boys. But the team continued to build on it, finishing the half with an 8-round tally. G2's Pistol round win was crucial as they converted it into a 3 round-haul, but ENCE showed their deadly CT side defense. Spinx was firing on all cylinders, matching and exceeding NiKo's performance at every step.
Down 14-10, G2 put in a final effort and managed to get their T side rolling. NiKo and Hunter powered the team to 5 in a row to reach the match point and force overtime. In the end, Aleksib's squad only managed to pick up one round in OT, conceding the map 19-16.
Decider - Mirage - G2 Secure PGL Antwerp Legends berth
The final frontier was Mirage. A map favored by both teams, it started off with a G2 storm of T side rounds. ENCE were unable to find their footing on the CT side as Aleksib, NiKo and m0NESY powered through their defenses. Eventually, though, Snappi adapted to the aggressive style and the team came back to a 7-8 scoreline. The second half was a series of force buy rounds with G2 eventually coming out on top thanks to a miraculous Aleksib 1v2.
That was the final push that G2 needed as they closed the game out with a 16-9 win, locking their place in the top 16 of PGL Antwerp.
Positives for G2 as the team finally clicks
G2's start to the new roster was a great showing at IEM Katowice, where m0NESY and hunter carried the squad to the finals despite the lack of NiKo's firepower. Since then they have once again struggled against top teams, much like the lead up to PGL Stockholm. The star duo of m0NESY and hunter had been keeping the team afloat but now NiKo has finally arrived and the team looks like the elite contender it was billed to be.
Will they continue this form? Is m0NESY going to be the next B1T? Can this be NiKo's time to lift the trophy? So many questions and more will be answered as the PGL Antwerp Major continues. Stay tuned to Esports.gg to find out.