r1nkle after G2's EWC surge: "Nothing can stop me right now"

Artem "r1nkle" Moroz needed only a few months to go from Ninjas in Pyjamas' bench to deciding playoff series for G2.

The 21-year-old Ukrainian AWPer produced a series-high 1.31 Rating 3.0 as G2 recovered from losing their own map pick against Astralis to win 2-1 in the Esports World Cup 2026 Round of 16. The victory sent G2 into a quarter-final against FURIA and gave r1nkle his clearest statement performance since joining the team in June.

His reaction afterwards was less about proving NIP wrong than enjoying the opportunity he almost certainly could not have expected when he was benched in April.

"I'm enjoying it. Life is good," r1nkle told HLTV after the Astralis series.

That simplicity runs through the rest of the interview. r1nkle acknowledges that his final months with NIP went badly, accepts responsibility for his mentality during that period and describes G2 as a system he is still learning. The confidence has returned faster than the comfort.

Quick Context

Detail	Information
Player	Artem "r1nkle" Moroz
Team	G2
Role	Primary AWPer
Event	Esports World Cup 2026, Paris
Interview type	Post-match interview / comeback-focused player feature
Result	G2 2-1 Astralis — Ancient 6-13, Dust2 13-6, Inferno 13-7
r1nkle vs Astralis	42-29, 83.0 ADR, 1.31 Rating 3.0
Next opponent	FURIA in the EWC quarter-final
Main storyline	r1nkle rebuilding his confidence and adapting to a more aggressive role after his NIP benching

Why this interview matters

The timing is what makes r1nkle's comments significant.

NIP moved him to the bench on April 15 after missing the IEM Cologne Major, with his output against top-50 opposition having fallen to a 1.02 rating during a difficult start to 2026. G2 then signed him on June 25, immediately after benching Álvaro "SunPayus" García following their own Cologne Major quarter-final run.

It was a substantial change in circumstances. Instead of rebuilding his career below tier one, r1nkle moved directly into a G2 lineup featuring Nemanja "huNter-" Kovač, Guy "NertZ" Iluz, Nikita "HeavyGod" Martynenko and Matúš "MATYS" Šimko under coach Eetu "sAw" Saha.

The Esports World Cup is also his first LAN with that five-man unit. After a modest BLAST Bounty debut with G2, r1nkle immediately looked more comfortable in Paris: he opened the tournament with 24 kills and a 1.48 rating in a 13-11 win over M80 before G2 beat BIG 2-1 to progress from their group.

The Astralis series then turned flashes of promise into a playoff-level performance.

r1nkle delivers when G2 need a response

G2's win over Astralis was not straightforward.

Astralis took Ancient 13-6 after choosing the map themselves, putting G2 under immediate pressure in the single-elimination bracket. G2 answered with a 13-6 victory on Dust2 and closed the series 13-7 on Inferno.

r1nkle was the statistical leader across the three maps, finishing 42-29 with a 1.31 rating. His biggest contribution came on Dust2, where he went 25-10 and recorded a 1.58 rating as G2 levelled the series. huNter- was almost equally influential overall, ending the match with a 1.30 rating.

For an AWPer arriving after a poor individual spell and being asked to alter the profile of G2's sniper role, the performance was timely.

The more important part of his interview, however, was that r1nkle did not present it as proof that the adaptation was finished.

He said he feels considerably more comfortable than when he first joined, but G2 have given him new structures and responsibilities to learn. He stopped short of describing himself as fully integrated.

"There is a lot of work to do."

That distinction matters. G2 did not bring him in simply to reproduce the role SunPayus had occupied.

G2 want a more active AWPer

When G2 made the switch in June, the team was changing more than the name attached to the AWP.

sAw explained that G2 wanted greater aggression from the position, while the original interview notes that SunPayus had also been one of the team's important voices inside the server. r1nkle said the expectations from sAw and huNter- have been clear: G2 want him to be more active and willing to create opportunities.

That profile fits the reputation r1nkle built before his downturn at NIP. His task now is to apply it consistently within a more demanding tier-one structure rather than simply searching for opening fights.

The Astralis match offered a useful glimpse of the upside. G2 did not require him to dominate every map — his impact fluctuated during the series — but when the team needed a response after Ancient, he was central to producing it.

It also explains why his comments about mentality deserve more attention than the raw numbers.

r1nkle takes responsibility for the end of his NIP spell

Asked why his time with NIP deteriorated, r1nkle did not point toward tactical disagreements or teammates. He placed much of the responsibility on his own mindset.

His assessment was that he had not approached that period with the mentality he needed. Since being benched, he said he has become mentally stronger and significantly increased the amount of work he puts in.

The timeline reinforces the size of the turnaround.

r1nkle joined NIP from B8 in April 2024 and remained in the starting lineup until April 2026. NIP then replaced him with Martin "stavn" Lund in the primary AWP role. Just over two months later, G2 bought r1nkle out and handed him another opportunity at the top level.

He admitted that G2's approach surprised him. A direct move into another high-level roster was not something he assumed would happen after being benched.

Rather than treating the offer as something he needed to justify publicly, his response was essentially to trust that he had earned the opportunity and get back to work.

That is also why the tone of the interview is striking. There is confidence in it, but very little interest in settling scores.

From NIP uncertainty to enjoying the stage

The emotional contrast between the two situations is obvious.

At EWC, r1nkle spoke about the support G2 received during the walkout and the experience of playing in front of the organization's fanbase. For a player whose career trajectory had looked uncertain four months earlier, simply being back on a major stage clearly carried weight.

It is also the first LAN test for the current G2 lineup. The five only came together after r1nkle's June arrival, and their previous event, BLAST Bounty Season 2, ended online with a 0-2 loss to Liquid in the 9th-16th place range.

Paris has already been different.

r1nkle starred against M80, G2 survived a three-map series against BIG, and the AWPer then led the scoreboard against Astralis to put the team into the last eight.

That does not make the rebuild complete. It does show why G2 were willing to bet on the more aggressive version of r1nkle reappearing.

FURIA await in the quarter-finals

When r1nkle spoke immediately after beating Astralis, G2's next opponent had not yet been decided. It is now confirmed.

FURIA beat Aurora 2-1 in their Round of 16 series, taking Ancient 13-11, losing Nuke 14-16 in overtime and recovering from a 3-9 half on Mirage to win the decider 13-9. KSCERATO and molodoy led the Brazilians with 1.26 and 1.25 series ratings respectively.

That sends G2 into a quarter-final against the No. 3-ranked FURIA lineup of FalleN, yuurih, YEKINDAR, KSCERATO and molodoy. G2 entered the playoff phase ranked No. 10.

The stakes are uncomplicated: EWC's playoffs are single elimination, with quarter-finals played as best-of-three series. The tournament carries a $2 million prize pool, with $600,000 for the champion.

There is little value in leaning heavily on older G2-FURIA head-to-head results here. The current G2 five was only formed after r1nkle joined in late June, and G2's post-Cologne match history does not contain a meeting with FURIA before this quarter-final. Older encounters came with materially different G2 rosters.

Current form and how r1nkle handles the AWP matchup against FURIA's setup are more relevant than historical series totals.

Interesting facts

• EWC 2026 is r1nkle's first LAN tournament with the current G2 roster.
• He was benched by NIP on April 15 and officially joined G2 on June 25.
• His 1.31 rating against Astralis was the highest in the series, narrowly ahead of huNter-'s 1.30.
• r1nkle also topped G2 against M80 in the EWC opener with 24 kills and a 1.48 rating.
• FURIA reached the EWC quarter-finals after eliminating Aurora 2-1, while G2 advanced by beating Astralis by the same series score.

What comes next?

G2 now face their first playoff test against a top-three opponent with r1nkle in the lineup.

The Astralis series showed both sides of the new project: G2 were convincingly beaten on the opener, then recovered with two controlled map wins, with their new AWPer producing his best series yet for the team. FURIA arrive after a far less comfortable victory against Aurora but with an established five and two high-impact performers in KSCERATO and molodoy.

For r1nkle, the quarter-final is another chance to turn his renewed confidence into something more durable. His stated priorities are deliberately uncomplicated: work, improvement and keeping outside noise from becoming the focus.

Or, in his words, "stay positive, enjoy playing, enjoy life, keep improving."

FAQ

Who is r1nkle?

Artem "r1nkle" Moroz is a 21-year-old Ukrainian professional CS2 AWPer. He previously represented B8 and Ninjas in Pyjamas before joining G2 in June 2026.

What role does r1nkle play for G2?

r1nkle is G2's primary AWPer. He replaced SunPayus after the Spanish sniper was moved to the bench following the IEM Cologne Major.

What happened in G2 vs Astralis at EWC 2026?

G2 won the Round of 16 series 2-1. Astralis took Ancient 13-6 before G2 answered on Dust2, 13-6, and Inferno, 13-7. r1nkle posted the highest rating in the match at 1.31.

Who do G2 play next?

G2 face FURIA in the Esports World Cup quarter-finals after FURIA eliminated Aurora 2-1.

Why did r1nkle leave NIP?

NIP benched him in April after missing the IEM Cologne Major and said the team wanted a different direction in its roles and dynamics. r1nkle later attributed his own struggles largely to his mentality during that period.