CS2 caster Chad "SPUNJ" Burchill discussed the roster changes in G2 Esports. During the Talking Counter podcast, he expressed dissatisfaction with the club's decisions and suggested that one of the reasons for the chosen path by management could be the high cost of acquiring worthy candidates for the roster.
"I thought NiKo was starting a new chapter, setting new goals. He's nearing 30, but still very skilled in the game. We saw that the team trusted him as captain at IEM Dallas 2024 and became champions. Additionally, it would have been advantageous for the organization to rejuvenate the roster — and sign another player under 25 who would stay with the team for at least the next two years.
But G2 decided to choose a new captain, and one over 30 at that — indicating the club's desire for immediate results. I'm not trying to debate how long someone can actively play without distractions. Currently, the world's top players are under 25 — like ZywOo, m0NESY, donk. They practically live in CS and adapt seamlessly to gameplay changes — they just keep playing.
The team already has m0NESY, and now they've signed malbsMd — he can certainly be an aggressive player like NiKo. There's huNter-, who can play anchor, lurker, and essentially do everything the team needs. Moreover, he's a very composed person, which is always valuable in a team. The only position left to fill is a free agent anchor. I've heard Perfecto's contract would cost no less than $500,000. G2 Esports would never pay such money for a player like Perfecto. It's unfortunate because maybe then the club wouldn't have had to take the current path.
I have nothing against the player G2 signed; I just hoped the team would change direction. So, when I heard about the transfer, it seemed like a missed opportunity to me. Maybe I'm wrong, and everything will work out. Ultimately, I realized NiKo didn't want to be captain, but now the team lacks one of the best in-game leaders, just a new captain. How many players have been in that position at G2? Does the club want to build a team by constantly changing in-game leaders? Either way, this transfer didn't interest me at all."
On July 3rd, G2 Esports introduced a new captain for their CS2 roster. Janusz "Snax" Pogorzelski replaced Rasmus "HooXi" Nielsen, a former GamerLegion member. The club had also announced the signing of Mario "malbsMd" Samayo, who took over Nemanja "nexa" Isaković's place in the starting roster.