The IEM Cologne Grand Finals reached its conclusion yesterday, with G2 changing into the ninth and remaining group to carry the trophy in CS:GO. The group are actually off the mark within the race for the Intel Grand Slam Season 5, with ESL Professional League Season 18 the following alternative. In doing so, additionally they joined the unique membership of groups who received each Cologne and Katowice in the identical 12 months, after Fnatic (2015) and FaZe (2022).
G2 Are Again
There they’re – that is the G2 that dominated the early months of 2023. There have been fears that this roster – particularly HooXi, had run its course, however G2’s endurance over the Summer season break was rewarded in silverware at IEM Cologne 2023’s LANXESS Area.
G2 had beforehand held agency within the IEM Cologne 2023 Semi-Finals, and confirmed no signal of nerves when taking that subsequent step. They’ve been right here earlier than, on the BLAST Premier World Closing 2022 and at IEM Katowice 2023. It is a roster that is aware of the value of victory.
Each single participant stepped on top of things, however it was NiKo and m0NESY that had been the true stars of the present. We’ll talk about NiKo quickly sufficient, however we are able to’t state how spectacular this was from m0NESY. At 18 years of age, the Child GOAT has already amassed a trophy cupboard most gamers can solely dream of. With a Okay/D ratio of 92:52, he was key to getting G2 throughout the end line right here. We’re witnessing a generational expertise at work, and it’s a pleasure to observe him enhance match-by-match. The one query is – the place is his ceiling?
In the meantime, HooXi, huNter-, and jks stored issues ticking alongside, making certain ENCE might by no means get a grip on the IEM Cologne Grand Finals. The outcome was a 3:1 stomping, with the overwhelming favorites popping out on prime.
Nerves Get To ENCE
ENCE will look again on the IEM Cologne Closing with remorse, as a result of actually, this was over earlier than it started. Our IEM Cologne Grand Finals Preview famous that whereas G2 had been favorites, ENCE had been masters of upsetting the chances. Right here although, the nerves had been clearly an excessive amount of. They rapidly went 2:0 down in maps that had been by no means really shut. After that time, it was an insurmountable mountain to climb within the IEM Cologne Closing.
A lot of ENCE’s hopes dangled on the type of AWPer SunPayus, who had dazzled earlier within the match. As soon as he posted a 4:17 scoreline on the primary map of Nuke, you had an inkling of which route the IEM Cologne Closing was headed.
ENCE did handle to seize again the third map of the IEM Cologne Closing, however even that took its toll. ENCE had been 14:5 up on Anubis, and seemed set for a complete victory of their try on the reverse sweep. Nerves set in as soon as once more, as G2 pulled all of it the way in which again to fifteen:13 earlier than ENCE had been lastly capable of shut it out. Regardless of it ending in victory, the injury was completed and the stage was set for a straightforward G2 fourth map.
By the tip, ENCE might solely look to Snappi for inspiration. The IGL was their total top-fragger, which for many groups is an inconceivable win situation. Of the group, none of them ended the sequence with a optimistic Okay/D ratio. You merely can’t count on to win Grand Finals like that.
NiKo Dominance
It was the proper send-off to CS:GO for NiKo. After G2’s Paris Main catastrophe, it appeared NiKo was destined to complete CS:GO with a whimper. G2 had been in horrible type within the lead-up to IEM Cologne 2023, so it was a secure guess. NiKo had different concepts.
He went on to put up the second-best match numbers of his complete profession (after ESL One New York 2017), snatching the official DHL MVP award in addition to the well-known IEM Cologne trophy. It’s a reward befitting of CS:GO’s best rifler, who will get to go away the sport behind in glory quite than tears. His classic efficiency within the IEM Cologne Closing was the jewel within the crown, securing the largest prize of his illustrious profession to this point.
With CS2 quick approaching and NiKo nonetheless simply 26 years outdated, there’s loads extra to his story left to jot down but.