G2 Overcome Passion UA to Close Day One of IEM Kraków 2026 | Match Ratings, Stats & Highlights

G2 Esports finished Day One of IEM Kraków 2026 Stage 1 with a hard-fought 2–1 victory over Passion UA, recovering from an Overpass loss to dominate Dust2 and Mirage. Strong individual ratings from MATYS, malbsMd, and HeavyGod proved decisive as G2 secured an important opening win at ESL’s first Polish arena event of the CS2 era.

G2 vs Passion UA — Match Result (Bo3)

IEM Kraków 2026 | Stage 1 — Day One

Overpass: Passion UA 13–8 G2

Dust2: G2 13–6 Passion UA

Mirage: G2 13–3 Passion UA

After being caught off guard on Overpass, G2 adjusted their pacing and map control to comfortably close out the series.

Map Breakdown & Key Moments

Overpass — Passion UA Strike First

Passion UA secured the opener behind effective mid-round calling and high-impact plays from Grim and Kvem. The map ended in dramatic fashion with hallzerk’s ninja defuse, denying G2 the chance to force overtime.

Dust2 — G2 Take Control

Dust2 marked a clear momentum shift. G2’s riflers consistently won opening duels, with all four non-AWP players posting strong numbers as Passion UA struggled to find space on the CT side.

Mirage — One-Sided Finish

G2 closed the series with a dominant Mirage performance. malbsMd set the tempo early, while MATYS and huNter- overwhelmed Passion UA’s defenses, limiting them to just three rounds.

Player Ratings — HLTV Rating 3.0 (Series)

Series MVP: MATYS
Despite a competitive showing from Grim, G2’s advantage came from superior depth and consistency across all three maps.

Notable Clutches & Highlights

Grim — ACE on Overpass

MATYS — 1v2 clutch on Dust2

hallzerk — 1v2 clutch on Dust2

These moments shaped the momentum swings throughout the series.

Verified Player Reaction

In a post-match interview, malbsMd explained how G2 adapted after the opening map loss:

“They kind of surprised us on Overpass… On Mirage and Dust2, we tried to play more passively and focus on control because we knew how aggressive they were.”

He also commented on his role within the team:

“My job is always to go in for the guys. I don’t really care about my own stats.”

IEM Kraków 2026 — Event Context

Stage 1: January 28–30

Stage 2: January 31 – February 3

Playoffs: February 6–8

Venue: TAURON Arena, Kraków

Prize Pool: $1,222,000

The event marks ESL’s return to Poland with a full CS2 LAN format and a packed international team list.

What’s Next for G2?

With their opening win secured, G2 move forward in Stage 1 aiming for a direct qualification spot to Stage 2. The strong early form from MATYS and malbsMd positions them as one of the teams to watch as the group stage unfolds.