G2 Esports Outlasts Team Liquid 2–1 at IEM Kraków 2026 as “ultimate” Shines but Fall Short in Upper-Bracket Thriller

G2 Esports Outlasts Team Liquid 2–1 at IEM Kraków 2026 as “ultimate” Shines but Fall Short in Upper-Bracket Thriller

G2 Esports survived a back-and-forth battle with Team Liquid to take a 2–1 victory in their IEM Kraków 2026 Stage 1 upper-bracket quarterfinal on January 29, securing their spot in the next stage of the tournament.

Map Breakdown & Outcome

The best-of-three series saw alternating momentum as both sides claimed a map before a gripping decider:

• Mirage: G2 opened strongly, taking it 13-8 with a balanced team effort that disrupted Liquid’s setups.

• Inferno: Liquid responded emphatically, powered by ultimate’s AWP and disciplined defense, cruising to a 13-6 win to force Anubis.

• Anubis: The final map was tightly contested, with G2 taking a comfortable lead, only for Liquid to rally back into contention. In overtime, G2 ultimately edged out a 16-14 win.

Final Score: G2 Esports 2 – 1 Team Liquid (13-8 Mirage, 6-13 Inferno, 16-14 Anubis).

Standout Performances

• Liquid’s ultimate (Roland Tomkowiak) put in an impressive showing, especially with his AWP on Inferno and crucial clutches on Anubis that kept his team in the hunt. Despite criticism of his recent results, his performance against G2 demonstrated his impact potential.

• For G2 Esports, huNter- stepped up across all maps, making key entries and clutch plays, while malbsMd flashed with 31 frags and multiple multikills on Anubis — including pivotal rounds that swung momentum back in G2’s favor.

Key Moments

• On Anubis, Liquid overcame a significant deficit to force overtime, fueled by a series of clutch rounds and ultimate’s sharpshooting.

• G2’s resilience showed when malbsMd converted a 3v5 and a 2v5 situation, preventing match-point conversions by Liquid and keeping G2 alive.

What This Means at IEM Kraków 2026

With this win, G2 advance to Stage 2 of IEM Kraków 2026, keeping their upper-bracket run alive and earning a chance at deeper tournament progression.

Team Liquid, meanwhile, drop into the lower bracket, where they are scheduled to face FUT in a do-or-die elimination match to try to stay alive in the event.

Context from Kraków

• Liquid had started the event with a strong opening win against Ninjas in Pyjamas (despite a stand-in), showing flashes of form earlier in Stage 1.

• The IEM Kraków Stage 1 continues with several other key matchups as teams fight for Stage 2 qualification.