G2 defeated Astralis 2-1 in the Round of 16 of the Esports World Cup 2026 playoffs. The series was played on August 19, and G2 secured a place in the quarterfinals.
The match went to all three maps after Astralis opened the series with a dominant victory on Ancient. However, G2 responded on Dust2 and completed the comeback on Inferno
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Three Maps Decide the Series
Astralis opened the series on Ancient, their own map pick, and took control from the beginning. The Danish side won the map 13-6 to move one victory away from the Esports World Cup 2026 quarterfinals.
G2 answered on Dust2, their selected map. The international roster produced an equally convincing 13-6 result, forcing the Round of 16 encounter onto the decisive third map.
Inferno decided the series. G2 maintained their momentum after the Dust2 win and beat Astralis 13-7, completing a 2-1 comeback. As a result, G2 reached the quarterfinals, while Astralis were eliminated from the tournament.
r1nkle Leads G2 to Victory
Artem “r1nkle” Moroz was G2’s highest-rated player in the series with a 1.31 Rating 3.0. He finished with 42 kills and 29 deaths, while recording 83.0 ADR and a 79.3% KAST rating. Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač also played a decisive role with 50 kills and a 1.30 rating.
G2 Rise in VRS Rankings
G2 received 37 VRS points for their victory over Astralis and moved from 11th to 10th place in the ranking. Astralis, meanwhile, lost 10 VRS points after the defeat and fell from 17th to 18th place.
G2 Reach the Quarterfinals
G2 advance to the Esports World Cup 2026 quarterfinals after overturning the series against Astralis. Although they lost Ancient 6-13, G2 recovered with confident wins on Dust2 and Inferno, taking both maps by a 13-6 scoreline and 13-7 respectively.
The result also improves G2’s position in the VRS ranking. The team gained 37 points and moved from 11th to 10th place. Meanwhile, Astralis lost 10 points and dropped from 17th to 18th.
Astralis finish their Esports World Cup 2026 campaign in 9th-16th place and receive $35,000 in prize money. For G2, the comeback keeps their title hopes alive and sends the team into the next playoff stage with a place in the quarterfinals secured.
