G2 have the pieces needed to become a top-five collective, but Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač believes building individual confidence is the next step for the roster. The G2 captain spoke to HLTV after a 2:0 victory over Natus Vincere kept the collective alive at BLAST Open Porto 2026.
The result came after G2 were swept 0:2 by Spirit earlier in the tournament. huNter- admitted he was especially happy with the response against NAVI, an opponent he said had caused him problems several times during his career.
G2 bounced back after the loss to Spirit
G2 controlled most of the elimination series against NAVI. They took Ancient 13:6 after a 9:3 CT half before closing Inferno 13:10, despite allowing NAVI to recover from a 10:4 deficit and get within one round at 11:10.
For huNter-, the way G2 responded was as important as the result itself.
I’m super happy that we bounced back after a hard loss against Spirit.
The victory moved G2 into the Group A lower-bracket final and left the collective one win away from the playoffs in Porto.
Confidence is the missing piece for G2
huNter- believes the current roster already has the tools required to compete closer to the top of the rankings. He pointed to the level of trust inside G2 and the depth of the tactical playbook, with confidence — particularly on an individual level — becoming the main area the players need to improve.
The captain also noted that G2 have regularly reached playoffs since Guy “NertZ” Iluz joined the roster. The next goal is to turn those appearances into more finals and opportunities to fight for trophies.
For huNter-, improvement is not simply about spending more time in Deathmatch or FACEIT. He said the collective needs to review official matches and practice, identify mistakes and continue fixing them together.
r1nkle gives huNter- more options during rounds
Artem “r1nkle” Moroz also received praise from the G2 captain. huNter- described the 21-year-old as a proactive AWPer who does more than ask for opening opportunities, regularly suggesting ideas and taking initiative during mid-round situations.
That approach can occasionally go too far, with huNter- joking that he sometimes needs to stop r1nkle from doing too much. At the same time, he highlighted the AWPer’s willingness to listen, calm personality and positive attitude since joining G2.
r1nkle also contributed to the win over NAVI with a 30–18 K–D and a 1.12 Rating 3.0 across Ancient and Inferno. Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko led the server with a 1.61 rating and 37 kills.
G2 are one win away from the Porto playoffs
G2 will play the winner of Aurora versus M80 in the Group A lower-bracket final on August 31. The winner will secure a place in the BLAST Open Porto 2026 playoffs, which begin on September 4.
huNter- said he is not worried about which opponent comes through the other elimination match. G2 have already defeated Aurora during the group stage, and the captain believes repeating the level shown against NAVI will give the collective a chance to reach Porto.
