G2 Esports has made a significant roster change following their 5th-8th place finish at the IEM Cologne Major 2026. The organization has decided to bench Spanish AWPer Álvaro "SunPayus" García and bring in 21-year-old Ukrainian talent Artem "r1nkle" Moroz.
SunPayus joined G2 after the Austin Major 2025 alongside SAW and MATYS, replacing hades who had temporarily filled in for m0NESY. Under huNter's leadership, the new lineup showed promise early on, claiming a tier 1 trophy by defeating Team Vitality just two months into their tenure. However, that victory marked their peak performance, and the team struggled to maintain momentum as their competition improved.
Despite remaining competitive throughout 2025 and early 2026, G2 couldn't secure another tier 1 championship. Even bringing in NertZ to replace malbsMd failed to elevate their tournament results. Their strongest showing came at Cologne Major 2026, where they defeated NAVI to reach the playoffs before falling to Team Spirit in overtime on the decisive map.
SunPayus's tenure with G2 was marked by inconsistency. While he occasionally dominated matches, winning crucial rounds and maps single-handedly, he frequently struggled to make an impact and was often outperformed by opposing AWPers.
r1nkle gained recognition in 2025 playing for Ninjas in Pyjamas but was benched in April 2026 when the team opted for Stavn, who had no prior professional AWP experience. While r1nkle primarily competed at tier 2 level and shares consistency issues similar to SunPayus, his potential ceiling appears higher.
G2's fundamental-focused playstyle means they need an AWPer who can reliably hit key shots. If r1nkle can deliver on his potential, this gamble on younger talent could push the plateaued roster beyond their current limitations.
