The rifler Nikola "NiKo" Kovač will depart from G2 Esports' CS2 roster at the end of December, as revealed by the organisation’s CEO, Alban Dechelotte, in an interview with the French outlet MGG France.
"If we had wanted to keep NiKo, we would have done so, as he still has several years left on his contract. The reason it hasn’t happened is that we believe this is the right time, the right amount, or the right stage for the team to make this decision.
Moreover, the fact that we signed malbsMd in July, even though he has always played in the same roles as NiKo, may have anticipated what was bound to occur. We might already be working on finding someone to replace malbsMd as an entry fragger, enabling him to take over NiKo’s roles once he leaves at the end of December."
Dechelotte also commented on Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov’s future within the team.
"In any case, his contract extends for more than a year, so the decision is ours. If he does leave, it will mean we have accepted an offer.
I believe he shares a special bond with NiKo, who has been his mentor, and Ilya greatly admires him. NiKo has significantly aided his career development, but m0NESY is also one of the best players in the world, with the potential to become the rightful leader of the roster. We are working on shaping the future G2 CS lineup, and Ilya is the core of this project."
Previously, rumours surfaced that NiKo had agreed to join Team Falcons despite having declined in the past. The transfer is expected to take place in 2025, with Kovač representing G2 Esports for the final time at the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024.