Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko spoke to HLTV after G2 were eliminated from ESL Pro League Season 24, admitting that both his individual performance and the team’s overall level were below expectations. He also discussed the ongoing integration of Artem “r1nkle” Moroz and the work G2 now need to do before their next event.
G2 leave Katowice with a 1:3 record after losses to Natus Vincere, 1win and PARIVISION, ending a run of six notable playoff appearances in 2026.
HeavyGod admits G2 did not deserve playoffs
G2 entered ESL Pro League Season 24 hoping to extend their playoff streak and reach the Spodek stage, but HeavyGod said the team simply did not perform at the required level.
“We wanted to be in playoffs, we wanted to play in Spodek. But we didn’t perform and then it means we don’t deserve it.”
HeavyGod also took responsibility for his own performance and said there was no complicated explanation for the early exit: when a team plays poorly, it does not win.
The elimination came against PARIVISION, who defeated G2 in three maps and ended their tournament run at 1:3.
G2 will review why their level dropped
HeavyGod said the immediate priority is to understand why G2 looked significantly worse in Katowice than at previous events.
“We need to go back, we need to check, we need to see what went wrong, why did we play so bad, and why our level was so low this event.”
He added that more practice time can help, but stressed that G2’s goal is to compete at the highest level and reach playoffs rather than simply gain extra days at home.
HeavyGod described the tournament as a poor event for the entire team rather than pointing to one specific problem.
r1nkle still needs time to fully integrate
G2 are also continuing to integrate r1nkle, who joined the lineup during the season.
HeavyGod explained that fitting a new player into G2’s structure is not only about learning positions or individual roles, but also understanding the team’s overall system and play style.
“There’s a lot of things in the system, in the play style, that it takes time in general.”
He could not give a timeframe for when the process would be complete, but said the team wants to make it happen as quickly as possible.
The early exit at ESL Pro League Season 24 ends G2’s streak of playoff appearances and gives the team another period to review its problems before returning to competition.
