When G2 Esports and Team Liquid swapped Guy “NertZ” Iluz and Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa earlier this year, it marked another turn in G2’s ongoing rebuild, a roster still finding its footing after the departures of NiKo and m0NESY. For NertZ, the move is as much a homecoming as a fresh start.
We sat down with him to talk through the transition: carving out his own role within an established core, balancing individual instinct against G2’s structure, what makes sAw one of the best in the world, and why he believes the team’s real identity is still a few months away from taking shape.
Joining G2 is a big step, especially given the expectations around the roster. How did the move come about, and what made you feel this was the right fit?
I think it was the right time and the right fit because I wasn’t in my best form before. But when I knew that I’m gonna join G2, I needed to adjust and also play a little bit of different roles from what I had in the past. With the players that I’m playing with right now, I know that we can go far and even win the Major.
read more
You came in as a replacement for malbsMd, who had a very defined role on the team. How have you approached carving out your own space within the system?
I think at the start, when I started to play in the team, it was one-for-one on most of the maps. But after we had a little bit of practice, I started to talk about the things that I wanted to adjust a little bit for me and for the team. I feel like now it became a point where it’s 50-50 in a way. It’s not similar anymore.
Your playstyle has always been reliant on making individual plays. How are you adapting that style to fit into G2’s current structure?
My playstyle has always been that I need to take the space that I get and make it risky sometimes. For me, this is why, in my opinion, we should make it balanced between structure and playing free, and this is what we are trying to figure out nowadays.
What has the transition been like in terms of team chemistry, especially joining a core that’s already played together for a long time?
I think the adjustment is only for myself because I’m coming to a team that already has everything, and I just need to fit in and try not to change anything. I think the rest of the guys are really smart, and with SAW as a coach, I knew that everything is on the right path.
Working under a coach like SAW, who emphasizes structure and discipline, how has that influenced your approach to the game so far?
read more
I think SAW is mostly about structure, but he knows exactly when you need to play free. This is why I define him as one of the best coaches in the world because it’s not only about structure, it’s also about player decisions when you don’t need to play structure. For me, this is a huge thing about him.
From the outside, G2 seems to be going through a phase of redefining its identity. As a new addition, how do you see your role in shaping that identity?
I think from the outside it seems like it, and it’s true. I feel like it will take time for me and for the team to adjust, to come to a point where I feel comfortable most of the time and also where the team feels comfortable.
There are a lot of maps where I’m playing with specific players, and we are trying to change things because I have more say on those maps specifically. They didn’t feel comfortable in some of these roles, but I need to change it a little bit so that I feel comfortable too. It’s kind of like we’re trying to adjust for each other. In my opinion, maybe in two or three months, maybe even before the Major, but definitely after the Major, there will be a phase where it kind of changes the way we play.
You’ve played in different systems and teams before. How does G2 compare in terms of communication, preparation, and overall philosophy?
read more
I’ve played with different teams where we did less preparation, but for most of my career I’ve played with SAW, so I’m not surprised about the preparation. About communication, we have really good communication in the team. There is no huge difference between the comms that I had in the past two years. The structure, the anti-strat, and the preparation that we are doing are on a very high level. When we’re preparing against an enemy team, it can take two or three hours sometimes. It’s a lot.
What were the biggest challenges you faced in your first few matches with the team?
The biggest challenge that I had in the first matches was that sometimes I wanted to do something, but I couldn’t do it because I didn’t want to make players feel uncomfortable because of the move that I was doing. At the start, I always needed to fit into the team and try not to overcompensate and do complicated things.
Do you feel more comfortable playing aggressive roles, or are you enjoying the flexibility that comes with this new lineup?
I’ve always been a guy who likes being flexible. I know how to play passive, and I know how to play aggressive. So for me, flexibility is the right word for myself.
