G2 Officially Part Ways With SunPayus After 14-Month CS2 Stint

G2 Esports have officially parted ways with Spanish AWPer Álvaro “SunPayus” García, bringing his 14-month spell with the organization to an end.

The departure was confirmed on September 29, 2026, three months after G2 moved SunPayus to the bench and replaced him in the active CS2 lineup with Artem “r1nkle” Moroz. HLTV reports that SunPayus is widely expected to continue his career with FUT, although his next team had not been officially announced at the time of the departure report. 

 

SunPayus has officially left G2 after spending approximately 14 months with the international CS2 organization.

 

Quick Summary

 

 

What Happened Between G2 and SunPayus?

G2 announced SunPayus’ departure on September 29, formally ending a relationship that had effectively entered its final stage three months earlier.

The Spanish sniper had been inactive since June. G2 benched him on June 25 and subsequently completed the signing of Ukrainian AWPer r1nkle, establishing a new primary sniper for the active lineup. 

SunPayus therefore leaves without creating another immediate vacancy in G2’s starting five. The organization had already completed the competitive side of the transition when r1nkle arrived.

The more significant unanswered question concerns SunPayus himself.

HLTV reported on September 16 that FUT were close to signing the 27-year-old. According to that report, SunPayus would replace Nikita “cmtry” Samolotov as the team's AWPer. HLTV also reported that FUT considered other AWP options, including sl3nd and flayy. 

As of G2's September 29 announcement, however, the organization did not reveal where SunPayus would play next. HLTV described the FUT transfer as widely expected rather than completed. 

 

SunPayus' 14 Months With G2

SunPayus joined G2 in July 2025 during a major restructuring of the organization's Counter-Strike project.

His arrival carried particular significance because he became G2's long-term replacement for m0NESY, who had transferred to Falcons. 

Replacing a player of m0NESY's profile inevitably put considerable attention on G2's new AWPer, but the rebuilt roster showed early promise.

Only around a month after SunPayus joined, G2 won BLAST Open London 2025. HLTV's event records list G2 first at the Finals, with SunPayus recording a 1.09 Rating 3.0 across nine maps. 

That breakthrough did not develop into sustained tournament dominance. HLTV summarized G2's subsequent run as one in which the team frequently missed playoffs narrowly or exited early once reaching them.

SunPayus remained G2's AWPer through the first half of 2026, including appearances at IEM Rio, BLAST Rivals, PGL Astana and the IEM Cologne Major. His final listed event with G2 was the Cologne Major, where the team finished 5th-8th and SunPayus posted a 1.00 Rating 3.0 over 16 maps. 

 

Why G2 Replaced SunPayus

The change was not simply framed as a question of individual statistics.

After SunPayus was benched, G2 coach Eetu “sAw” Saha explained that the team wanted a more aggressive element in its lineup.

“I think for us we need something more aggressive because we have also other players who are a bit more on the passive side.”

sAw also said SunPayus could still “bring the right things to the right team,” indicating that G2's decision was at least partly about stylistic fit rather than treating the AWPer as incapable of competing at the top level. 

That distinction is important when assessing the roster move.

SunPayus traditionally occupies a dedicated AWP role, while G2 viewed r1nkle as an option capable of bringing greater aggression into its system. G2's official team pages currently identify r1nkle as the roster's AWPer. 

 

G2 Roster After SunPayus' Departure

SunPayus' exit does not mean G2 now needs to find a new AWPer. That transition took place in June.

HLTV lists the following five-player lineup following his departure: 

The G2 website also identifies r1nkle as its AWPer and MATYS as a rifler. 

G2's AWP Transition

The sequence shows why the September announcement is better understood as the completion of G2's AWP transition rather than the beginning of another roster rebuild.

 

SunPayus and G2 Timeline

Sources for chronology: HLTV's departure report, player news archive and FUT transfer report. 

 

Why SunPayus Leaving G2 Matters

For G2, the immediate competitive impact should be limited because SunPayus had already spent roughly three months outside the starting lineup. r1nkle has been playing the AWP role since June. 

The significance is instead structural. G2 has now fully closed the SunPayus chapter and removed the uncertainty surrounding one of its benched players.

There is also a tactical dimension.

sAw's comments provide a clear explanation for the original switch: G2 believed its composition needed additional aggression. That means evaluating the change solely through SunPayus-versus-r1nkle rating comparisons would miss part of the rationale. How r1nkle initiates engagements, creates space with the AWP and interacts with G2's riflers may be just as relevant as his raw output.

For SunPayus, leaving G2 creates the possibility of returning to competition after three months without official matches.

 

Tactical Impact: SunPayus vs. G2's New Direction

SunPayus is a primary AWPer, and HLTV's reporting on the potential FUT transfer also notes that he can contribute as a secondary caller. 

G2's reasoning for moving away from him was more specific: sAw wanted greater aggression because other pieces of the lineup already leaned toward a more passive approach. 

That creates two different tactical questions.

For G2, the focus is whether r1nkle's more aggressive profile can improve the balance of the five-man unit.

For SunPayus, the important question is whether his next team can build an AWP structure better suited to his strengths rather than asking him to fill the same tactical requirements G2 wanted to change.

These are analytical considerations rather than guarantees about either team's future results.

 

Tournament Impact

G2's upcoming tournament plans should not require an emergency replacement because r1nkle is already established in the active lineup.

SunPayus' situation is different.

If the reported FUT move is completed, his first event with the organization will become an important test after several months away from official competition. Until FUT or SunPayus confirms the transfer and subsequent event schedule, however, his debut should be treated as TBD.

 

Historical Context: From m0NESY to SunPayus to r1nkle

The departure completes another stage in G2's post-m0NESY evolution.

SunPayus arrived after m0NESY moved to Falcons, putting him in one of the most closely watched AWP positions in Counter-Strike. The immediate result — a BLAST Open London title — suggested that G2's rebuilt lineup could quickly compete for trophies. 

But G2 ultimately decided that its overall composition required a different type of AWPer.

That makes the sequence less of a simple one-for-one succession and more of an evolution in how G2 wants its sniper to function:

m0NESY → SunPayus → r1nkle

Each change has come alongside broader roster and tactical considerations rather than existing in isolation.

Watch the official highlights from G2's 3–2 victory over Vitality in the BLAST Open London 2025 grand final — the biggest title of SunPayus' G2 tenure.

 

What Changes Now?

For G2, very little changes overnight. The current five-man lineup was already operating without SunPayus, and r1nkle remains the team's AWPer.

For SunPayus, the departure is more consequential. He is no longer tied to G2's bench, while reports connecting him with FUT provide a possible route back into tier-one competition.

The distinction between those two facts is important: his G2 departure is confirmed; his FUT destination remains reported until officially announced. 

 

What to Watch Next

The biggest development to monitor is an official announcement regarding SunPayus' next team. FUT is the reported destination, with HLTV stating that the Spanish AWPer is expected to take over from cmtry. 

If that deal becomes official, attention will then shift to SunPayus' return date, FUT's final five-man roster and how the organization integrates an experienced AWPer into its young lineup.

For G2, the longer-term question is whether the stylistic change sAw wanted from the AWP position translates into more consistent deep tournament runs.

 

FAQ

Did SunPayus leave G2?

Yes. G2 officially announced SunPayus' departure on September 29, 2026, ending his approximately 14-month spell with the organization. 

Why did G2 bench SunPayus?

G2 coach sAw said the team needed a more aggressive element because several other players had relatively passive tendencies. G2 subsequently signed r1nkle to take over the AWP position. 

Who replaced SunPayus on G2?

Artem “r1nkle” Moroz replaced SunPayus as G2's AWPer in June 2026. G2's current team pages identify r1nkle as the AWPer. 

Is SunPayus joining FUT?

The move was reported but not yet confirmed in G2's departure announcement. HLTV reported on September 16 that FUT were close to signing SunPayus and expected him to replace cmtry. 

What did SunPayus win with G2?

The standout title of his G2 tenure was BLAST Open London 2025. HLTV's event history lists G2 as the winner, with SunPayus recording a 1.09 Rating 3.0 across nine maps at the Finals.