kennyS hammers Fnatic, sends G2 to IEM Katowice 2020 finals
G2 Esports is headed to the grand finals of IEM Katowice 2020.
The fan favorite organization edged out Fnatic in the semifinals with a 2-1 score. The victory put G2 in position to post arguably its best tournament finish to date.
G2 Esports got on the board first on Inferno with a clutch defusal by Audric “JaCkz” Jug, but it took a while before either team gained momentum. The two traded rounds back and forth until a huge triple kill from Kenny “kennyS” Schrub sparked a winning streak for G2 Esports. The team closed out the first half 10-5.
Fnatic took the second pistol round, but G2 Esports denied the conversion and followed up on it with a few more rounds. Fnatic couldn’t get ahold of the game as the first map slipped away from them. A huge individual effort from JaCkz pushed G2 to a 15-6 score.
Fnatic was disorganized and frustrated, but the team still regained its composure and strung together several rounds. While some might have felt G2’s hold was starting to loosen, the team sealed up a 16-12 victory with an old fashioned SMG rush to the B bomb site.
Though G2 had a bit of a scare towards the end of game one, they dusted themselves off in time for Dust 2. The team got off to a strong 4-1 start on the map, but Fnatic returned fire and eventually took the lead.
G2 never let Fnatic get too comfortable and always managed to find kills. Even playing on eco rounds, G2 managed to keep Fnatic from building up any kind of stable economy. The effort didn’t keep Fnatic from growing its lead, though, and fans saw the first half end 9-6.
G2 took the second pistol round and converted, but couldn’t do much beyond that. While they had opportunities to stifle Fnatic’s momentum and swing close rounds, slips in execution by G2 and huge plays from Jesper “JW” Wecksell kept the momentum firmly in Fnatic’s favor. G2 managed a few more rounds, but Fnatic had little trouble forcing a decider map with a 16-11 win.
Train began with G2 on the favorable CT side. They took advantage of it early on with the duo of Nemanja “nexa” Isaković and Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač B site anchor and G2’s French trio covering the rest of the map. Fnatic settled into the attacking side and strung together several rounds to narrow the score to 9-6 by halftime.
Fnatic had a chance to take firm command of the game in the second half, but a huge pistol round from JaCkz allowed G2 to regain the momentum and start to look towards a series win. After G2 had picked up a few more rounds, a huge defensive play by Maikil “Golden” Kunda Selim stole Fnatic a round and kindle hopes of a comeback.
G2 clapped back hard, scoring a massive eco round win despite wielding upgraded pistols and a few grenades. The eco win emptied out Fnatic’s coffers and put the Swedes into a tailspin.
Fnatic’s defense on the B bombsite proved to be their Achilles heel on Train. When Golden wasn’t coming through with big plays and G2 hammered that weakness en route to match point. Fnatic once again turned up the heat with their back against the wall and strung together several rounds in a row. Fnatic made things dicey, but G2 managed to seal up the series with a 16-12 win on a tight post-plant hold that came down to the second. In a statline straight from 2015, kennyS boasted an impressive 70-51 stat line over the semifinal’s three maps.
KennyS and G2 back on top of CSGO at IEM Katowice 2020
G2 Esports underwent a huge cultural shift following the StarLadder Berlin Major. The organization added a pair of non-French players from CR4ZY, leading to mixed results early on. The team hit its stride in December 2019 with a second-place finish at CS Summit 5 and a tournament win at the Champions Cup Finals.
Though some dismissed those achievements due to the relatively weak competition, G2 Esports proved that its new lineup was legitimate with a strong performance in the BLAST Premier: Spring 2020 event. Now guaranteed a top-two finish in IEM Katowice 2020, G2 has the look of a bonafide elite.
They’re in for a stiff test in the finals. They’re set to take on Natus Vincere less than 24 hours after the CIS roster roasted Astralis in two maps. Na`Vi has looked deadly in Katowice and will enter Sunday with just as much, if not more momentum than G2 Esports.
No matter who takes home the title, fans had better be ready for some fireworks.
Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.
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