HeavyGod Explains G2’s ESL Pro League Season 24 Exit: “Our Level Was So Low”

Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko says G2 must conduct a serious review after an unexpectedly early exit from ESL Pro League Season 24, where the international roster finished the Swiss group stage with a 1-3 record.

Speaking to HLTV after G2’s elimination by PARIVISION, HeavyGod accepted responsibility for his own performance and the team’s overall level. Rather than pointing to one isolated problem, the 24-year-old said G2 now need to understand why their performance in Katowice dropped so sharply compared with their previous tournament runs. 

 

Quick Summary

G2 entered the tournament after making the playoffs at six notable events during 2026, according to HLTV, but that sequence ended in Katowice. Their only victory at ESL Pro League Season 24 came against ShindeN, while NAVI, 1win and PARIVISION all defeated G2. 

 

HeavyGod Says G2 Need to Understand Their Drop in Level

HeavyGod admitted that G2 performed below expectations and said the team must understand what went wrong at ESL Pro League Season 24.

 

HeavyGod’s post-match assessment was notable for its simplicity: G2 were not good enough.

After losing the elimination series against PARIVISION, he acknowledged that both his individual game and the collective performance fell short. HeavyGod also rejected the idea that missing the playoffs could be viewed positively simply because G2 would receive additional practice time.

“We wanted to be in playoffs, we wanted to play in Spodek,” HeavyGod told HLTV, before concluding that G2 had not performed well enough to deserve that opportunity. 

His central message was that G2 now have to review what happened rather than immediately searching for an easy explanation.

The key line from the interview was clear: “We need to go back, we need to check, we need to see what went wrong.” HeavyGod added that G2 need to determine why their level was so low during the event. 

That distinction matters. HeavyGod did not publicly blame the map pool, preparation, a teammate or one tactical decision. His comments instead framed the failure as a broader team-level problem requiring analysis after the event.

 

How G2 Were Eliminated by PARIVISION

G2 entered their match against PARIVISION at 1-2 in the Swiss stage, meaning defeat would immediately end their ESL Pro League Season 24 campaign.

PARIVISION won the best-of-three 2-1. They took Ancient 13-7, G2 responded with a 13-9 victory on Anubis, and the deciding Inferno went to PARIVISION 13-11. 

The series provided several examples of the problems HeavyGod later referenced.

According to HLTV’s match report, G2 appeared disconnected on Ancient and struggled in man-advantage situations. They recovered on Anubis, where NertZ and MATYS played important roles in the second half, but the defensive side of Inferno again exposed weaknesses. 

PARIVISION established a 9-3 halftime advantage on Inferno. G2 then mounted a substantial T-side comeback and briefly moved ahead, but Jame’s AWP helped PARIVISION stabilize late in the map before they closed it 13-11. 

G2 vs PARIVISION — elimination match

The result left G2 at 1-3 and eliminated them from the tournament. 

 

G2’s ESL Pro League Season 24 Timeline

The disappointing finish becomes clearer when looking at the entire run rather than only the PARIVISION match.

HLTV’s tournament results confirm that G2 managed only one series victory across their four matches. 

The opening loss was particularly one-sided: NAVI defeated G2 13-7 on Cache and 13-4 on Inferno. HeavyGod posted a 0.90 Rating 3.0 in that series, while G2 captain huNter- finished at 0.37. 

This makes the PARIVISION defeat less useful to interpret as a standalone upset. G2 had been struggling from the beginning of their EPL campaign.

 

Background: G2 Had Built a Much Stronger Run Before Katowice

The result contrasts sharply with G2’s preceding stretch of tournaments.

HLTV noted that G2 had reached the playoffs of six notable events in 2026 before ESL Pro League Season 24. Their recent results also included a run to the FISSURE Playground 3 grand final in September, where they eventually lost 0-3 to Legacy. 

That history changes the interpretation of the EPL exit.

For a roster repeatedly reaching playoff stages, a 1-3 Swiss elimination represents a meaningful interruption rather than merely another average tournament result.

It also explains HeavyGod’s emphasis on discovering why G2’s level dropped.

 

The r1nkle Integration Remains a Work in Progress

One of the most important longer-term elements in HeavyGod’s interview concerned Artem “r1nkle” Moroz.

G2 signed r1nkle from Ninjas in Pyjamas on June 25, replacing SunPayus as the team’s primary AWPer. The change was intended to add a more aggressive element to the lineup. 

Several months later, HeavyGod indicated that the integration process is still ongoing.

“There’s a lot of things in the system, in the play style, that it takes time in general,” he told HLTV when discussing how long it might take r1nkle to fully understand the way huNter- wants G2 to play. 

HeavyGod did not provide a deadline for completing that process.

That is an important factual distinction: there is no confirmed timetable for r1nkle to become fully integrated into G2’s system.

Current G2 roster

HLTV listed this lineup during the ESL Pro League Season 24 campaign. 

 

Why HeavyGod’s Comments Matter

The importance of HeavyGod’s interview goes beyond one disappointing tournament.

First, G2’s playoff streak has ended. A team that had repeatedly advanced deep enough to remain relevant late in tournaments suddenly exited EPL with three losses from four series. 

Second, G2 are still developing their identity with r1nkle. His addition was not simply a one-for-one roster replacement: the team deliberately moved toward a more aggressive AWP profile after benching SunPayus. 

Third, HeavyGod’s comments suggest the team itself does not yet have a definitive explanation for the decline.

That makes G2’s response more significant than the loss itself.

 

Tactical Impact: What G2 Need to Review

G2 now have to review their coordination, round conversion and overall consistency following the early tournament exit.

 

HeavyGod did not publicly provide a detailed tactical diagnosis, so any broader conclusions should be treated as analysis rather than established fact.

However, the PARIVISION series offers several areas worth reviewing.

HLTV specifically highlighted disconnected play and lost man-advantage situations on Ancient. On Inferno, G2 struggled through the first half and entered halftime 3-9 down before producing a far more effective offensive side. 

That contrast is potentially important.

G2 demonstrated that they could still recover within maps, but their poor starts repeatedly left little margin for error. Against PARIVISION, the Inferno comeback ultimately fell two rounds short.

For sAw and huNter-, the review is therefore likely to involve more than raw individual output. Round conversion, defensive coordination, mid-round decision-making and how quickly r1nkle can operate comfortably inside the system are all logical areas to examine — though G2 have not publicly confirmed a specific list of changes.

 

Player Role Analysis: HeavyGod’s Position in the Recovery

HeavyGod remains one of G2’s key riflers, which makes his willingness to include himself in the criticism noteworthy.

His recent baseline also provides useful context. HLTV listed HeavyGod with a 1.08 Rating 3.0 across 55 maps over the previous three months at the time of the interview. 

His comments after elimination were therefore not framed as criticism directed elsewhere. HeavyGod explicitly acknowledged that he had not performed and that G2 had failed collectively.

For G2, returning to their previous level will likely require HeavyGod and the other established riflers to create a more stable environment while r1nkle continues adapting to the team's system.

 

Tournament Impact

The immediate consequence is straightforward: G2 will not compete in the ESL Pro League Season 24 playoffs at the Spodek Arena.

Their run ended at 1-3, while PARIVISION remained alive in the Swiss stage following the victory. 

More broadly, the elimination ended G2’s run of six notable playoff appearances during 2026. 

There is not enough verified information in the cited material to quantify the exact Valve Regional Standings impact of this elimination, so any specific VRS gain or loss should be considered TBD until an updated ranking is published.

 

What Changed Now?

The biggest change is not currently a roster move.

Instead, G2 have moved from tournament competition into an evaluation period earlier than planned.

HeavyGod explicitly said practice can be useful but made clear that G2 would rather have remained in contention for the title. The additional preparation time is therefore a consequence of failure, not the objective. 

No roster change was announced in connection with the EPL elimination as of the latest verified sources used for this article.

 

Historical Comparison: From Six Playoffs to an Early Exit

The contrast with G2’s previous form is one of the strongest indicators that EPL S24 deserves attention.

Immediately before this tournament, G2 had reached six notable playoffs in 2026. Their September FISSURE Playground 3 campaign included victories over BIG, 9z, 5star, FURIA and BETBOOM before Legacy beat them in the grand final. 

At ESL Pro League, G2 instead lost three of four series.

That does not by itself prove a long-term decline. One poor event is too small a sample to establish a trend.

It does, however, make G2’s next tournament an important test of whether Katowice was an isolated failure or evidence of deeper problems with their current system.

 

What to Watch Next for HeavyGod and G2

Several questions will define G2’s next appearance:

Can G2 restore their previous baseline? The priority is not necessarily a radical tactical reinvention but returning to the level that produced repeated playoff appearances.

How quickly will r1nkle integrate? HeavyGod explicitly said there is no fixed timeline.

Can G2 avoid poor starts? Their opening halves against PARIVISION created difficult comeback scenarios.

Will HeavyGod rebound individually? His own post-match comments acknowledged that his performance was below expectations.

What is G2’s next official event? The next confirmed appearance is TBD based on the sources verified for this article.

 

FAQ

What did HeavyGod say after G2’s ESL Pro League Season 24 elimination?

HeavyGod said G2 need to return home, review what went wrong and understand why the team’s level was so low during the event. He also acknowledged that his own individual performance was below expectations. 

Who eliminated G2 from ESL Pro League Season 24?

PARIVISION eliminated G2 with a 2-1 victory. PARIVISION won Ancient 13-7 and Inferno 13-11, while G2 won Anubis 13-9. 

What was G2’s record at ESL Pro League Season 24?

G2 finished with a 1-3 series record. They lost to NAVI, 1win and PARIVISION and defeated ShindeN. 

Is r1nkle fully integrated into G2?

HeavyGod indicated that the process is still ongoing. He said G2’s system and play style contain many elements that require time to learn and did not provide a deadline for completing the integration. 

Is G2 making roster changes after EPL S24?

No roster change linked to the elimination has been confirmed in the verified sources used for this article. Any claim of an imminent change should therefore be treated as unconfirmed unless G2 or another reliable source reports it.