G2 Esports have completed one of the biggest roster moves of the off-season by signing Ukrainian AWPer Artem “r1nkle” Moroz. The organization also confirmed that Álvaro “SunPayus” García has moved to the bench, ending his one-year spell with the team. G2 announced the signing only hours after revealing SunPayus’ benching. r1nkle joins from Ninjas in Pyjamas, where he had played since April 2024 after transferring from B8. He will now become G2’s new primary AWPer.
A fresh opportunity for the Ukrainian sniper
r1nkle showed plenty of individual promise during his time with NiP. However, the team struggled to compete for consistent results. His own performances also declined at the start of 2026, and he averaged a 1.02 rating against top-50 opposition.
After NiP failed to qualify for the IEM Cologne Major 2026, the organization moved Martin “stavn” Lund into the primary AWP role. That decision opened the door for r1nkle’s transfer.
G2 believe huNter- and head coach sAw can help the 20-year-old reach the next level. The organization hopes he will become a reliable playmaker and long-term solution on the AWP.
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SunPayus leaves the starting lineup
G2 also confirmed that SunPayus will no longer be part of the active roster. The Spanish AWPer joined the team in the summer of 2025 and spent one year with the organization.
He helped G2 win the BLAST Open London 2025 Finals and finished his spell with an average 1.05 rating. Despite those results, G2 decided to make changes after the team’s quarter-final loss to Spirit at the IEM Cologne Major 2026.
HLTV had already reported that G2 would not promote academy AWPer kl1m to the main roster. Instead, the organization looked for an experienced replacement and eventually chose r1nkle.
G2 roster
- Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač
- Matúš “MATYS” Šimko
- Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko
- Guy “NertZ” Iluz
- Artem “r1nkle” Moroz
Coach: Eetu “sAw” Saha
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Community reaction
The move quickly divided the Counter-Strike community. Most fans questioned whether r1nkle is a genuine upgrade over SunPayus, pointing to his inconsistent spell with Ninjas in Pyjamas and calling the transfer a risky gamble.
- “How is he an upgrade over SunPayus? I’m genuinely asking.”
- “This is not an upgrade from SunPayus.”
- “Why would you downgrade like this? I’m so confused.”
Some users also criticized G2 for benching SunPayus after only one season, while others urged fans to give r1nkle a chance, arguing that he still has significant potential and could flourish under sAw. Overall, the initial reaction has been largely skeptical, with many waiting to see whether the Ukrainian can prove himself when he debuts at BLAST Bounty Season 2.
Debut set for July
r1nkle will make his first official appearance for G2 at BLAST Bounty Season 2, which starts on July 21. The team will then travel to Paris for the Esports World Cup 2026, giving the Ukrainian another chance to make an immediate impact.
