sAw Explains Why G2 Needed a More Aggressive AWPer With r1nkle

G2 coach Eetu “sAw” Saha has explained the thinking behind one of the team’s most important roster decisions of 2026, saying the lineup needed a more aggressive element and identifying new AWPer Artem “r1nkle” Moroz as a player who could provide it.

Speaking to HLTV during the Esports World Cup 2026, sAw stressed that the decision to move away from Álvaro “SunPayus” García was not based on a single issue. Instead, G2 evaluated the overall ceiling and balance of the roster before deciding that a different type of AWPer could give the team another dimension.

The change is therefore about more than replacing one sniper with another. G2 are attempting to reshape how they create space, find opening kills and distribute initiative across a lineup that does not contain a conventional full-time entry fragger.

 

Quick Summary

Detail	Information
Main subject	sAw explains G2’s roster direction
Team	G2
Coach	Eetu “sAw” Saha
New AWPer	Artem “r1nkle” Moroz
Previous AWPer	Álvaro “SunPayus” García
Main objective	Add more aggression and playmaking
Key challenge	G2 still lack a natural dedicated entry
Current event	Esports World Cup 2026
Status	Confirmed comments from sAw
Source	HLTV interview, August 18, 2026

 

What Did sAw Say About G2’s Roster Change?

The central point of sAw’s explanation was that G2 felt their previous lineup had approached its potential ceiling.

According to the Finnish coach, the organization considered whether continuing with the same roster would realistically produce significant improvement. SunPayus remained a player whose qualities G2 understood, but the team wanted to change its overall balance rather than simply continue with a familiar formula.

sAw summarized one of the priorities succinctly:

“We needed something more aggressive.”

That aggression is expected to come partly from r1nkle.

sAw described the Ukrainian as a young, mechanically strong AWPer capable of taking initiative, creating space and looking for opening picks. He also highlighted r1nkle’s ability with rifles, pistols and other weapons as part of what could eventually make him a more versatile option within G2’s system.

However, sAw did not present the transfer as an instant solution.

He openly acknowledged that r1nkle could remain inconsistent while adapting to the roster and that G2 themselves must modify parts of their system to accommodate a more aggressive sniper.

 

Why G2 Chose r1nkle Over Continuing With SunPayus

The change represents a stylistic trade-off.

SunPayus offered experience, communication and several less visible contributions. sAw specifically noted that G2 have lost some of those qualities, including elements such as economy tracking and additional ideas during rounds.

At the same time, the coach believes G2 no longer require the AWPer to provide exactly the same level of vocal input.

Guy “NertZ” Iluz brought another voice into the roster when he joined, while Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač remains responsible for in-game leadership. That gave G2 room to prioritize different characteristics in the AWP position.

The intended exchange can be simplified as follows:

Area	SunPayus	Expected r1nkle contribution
Experience	Established	Still developing
Communication	Important voice	Less responsibility expected
Economy awareness	Specifically praised by sAw	Not identified as a primary responsibility
Aggression	G2 wanted more	Major reason for the change
Opening plays	More structured approach	Expected to seek more opportunities
Mechanical versatility	Experienced AWPer	sAw highlighted multiple weapons and movement
Consistency	More established	May fluctuate during adaptation
Long-term upside	G2 questioned roster ceiling	G2 see development potential

This does not mean G2 considered SunPayus a poor player. sAw explicitly said he believed the Spaniard could still offer valuable qualities to the right team.

The decision was instead about changing the profile occupying one of the most influential positions in G2’s system.

 

sAw and G2 Still Have an Entry Problem to Solve

The most interesting part of the interview may actually be what sAw said about the riflers.

G2 do not currently have what their coach considers a natural entry player.

sAw identified NertZ, MATYS and huNter- as players who do not perfectly fit that traditional entry profile, while HeavyGod is also not expected to become the team’s dedicated space creator. And despite r1nkle’s aggression, G2 obviously do not intend to turn their AWPer into the lineup’s primary entry fragger.

That creates a tactical puzzle.

G2 previously had Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa, whom sAw described as a natural entry capable of creating space with aggressive swings. MATYS has exceptional mechanics, according to the coach, but his preferred way of taking fights is more calculated.

As a result, replacing SunPayus with r1nkle addresses only part of the aggression question.

G2 still have to distribute entry responsibilities across the rest of the lineup.

 

Tactical Impact: How r1nkle Could Change G2

The tactical significance of r1nkle's arrival goes beyond AWP statistics.

An aggressive sniper can alter how opponents defend the opening stages of a round. If r1nkle consistently threatens early picks or takes contested territory, opponents may have to spend additional utility protecting key angles.

That could indirectly create better conditions for G2’s riflers.

This remains an expected tactical effect rather than a guaranteed outcome. sAw himself emphasized that G2 must learn how to integrate r1nkle and that the AWPer must improve his decision-making in situations where unnecessary overpeeks could cost rounds.

The potential upside is significant: G2 want r1nkle to become an X-factor capable of converting crucial situations rather than simply occupying the traditional back-line sniper role.

 

Player Role Analysis

r1nkle — aggressive AWP/X-factor

G2 want r1nkle to have enough freedom to create advantages without forcing him to manage the entire tactical picture.

sAw indicated that the team would prefer the AWPer to focus more heavily on his own positions and opportunities while the established core handles broader responsibilities.

huNter- — IGL and potential space creator

One important adjustment concerns huNter-.

sAw said G2 need more from their captain on the T side when he is operating within the pack. That suggests some opening responsibility could increasingly fall on the IGL as the team searches for the correct balance.

MATYS — calculated second-wave threat

MATYS has been tested in entry-oriented positions, but sAw does not view him as a direct replacement for malbsMd.

Instead, the coach suggested that MATYS can be effective when allowed to take slightly more time with his fights and potentially follow huNter- as a second player into engagements.

NertZ — playmaker and additional voice

NertZ gives G2 both playmaking and communication.

His presence is particularly relevant to the r1nkle move because G2 can afford to lose some of SunPayus’ vocal contribution without completely stripping the roster of secondary voices.

HeavyGod — stable component

HeavyGod appears to be the piece sAw is least interested in disrupting.

The coach said G2 receive consistently strong performances from him and therefore do not want to unnecessarily alter what already works.

 

G2 Updated CS2 Roster

G2 entered the Esports World Cup 2026 with huNter-, HeavyGod, MATYS, NertZ and r1nkle under head coach sAw.

 

G2’s current lineup listed by HLTV consists of:

Player	Position/context
Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač	IGL / rifler
Guy “NertZ” Iluz	Rifler / playmaker
Artem “r1nkle” Moroz	AWPer
Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko	Rifler
Matúš “MATYS” Šimko	Rifler
Eetu “sAw” Saha	Coach

SunPayus remains outside the active lineup after G2 benched him on June 25. r1nkle transferred from Ninjas in Pyjamas to G2 on the same date.

 

Timeline of G2’s Latest Tactical Evolution

Date	Development
March 13, 2026	NertZ transfers from Liquid to G2; malbsMd leaves for Liquid
Spring 2026	G2 continue adjusting roles after losing their natural entry profile
June 25, 2026	G2 bench SunPayus
June 25, 2026	r1nkle transfers from Ninjas in Pyjamas to G2
August 2026	New-look G2 compete at Esports World Cup 2026
August 18, 2026	sAw explains why G2 wanted a more aggressive AWPer

Transfer dates are reflected in HLTV’s team and player records.

 

Why sAw’s Comments Matter

Roster announcements explain who changed. This interview provides a clearer explanation of why.

G2’s decision was not simply an attempt to upgrade the AWP position statistically. It reflects a broader attempt to redistribute aggression across the team.

That distinction matters because it also establishes the criteria by which the new roster should eventually be judged.

If r1nkle develops into a reliable opening threat while G2 successfully distributes entry responsibilities among huNter-, NertZ and MATYS, the lineup could gain a dimension its coaching staff believed was missing.

If the balance fails, however, the absence of a natural entry fragger could remain a structural weakness regardless of r1nkle’s individual level.

 

Historical Comparison: From malbsMd to the Current G2

The current tactical problem can be traced back beyond the AWP change.

sAw specifically referenced malbsMd when discussing entry roles. The former G2 rifler offered a more natural space-creating profile, while the players currently occupying G2’s rifle positions generally approach engagements differently.

This means G2 have effectively been solving two interconnected questions:

1. How do they replace the space creation lost after malbsMd?
2. Can a more aggressive AWPer compensate for part of that lost initiative?

r1nkle is not supposed to become an entry fragger, but his willingness to take early AWP fights could reduce the amount of opening pressure placed on the riflers.

That is one of the defining tactical experiments of this version of G2.

 

Tournament Impact: Esports World Cup 2026

The Esports World Cup 2026 provides the first major playoff test for G2’s new system with r1nkle on the AWP.

 

The new system is already being tested under significant pressure.

G2 reached the Esports World Cup 2026 playoffs during their first tournament campaign after adding r1nkle, according to HLTV’s interview.

The tournament runs from August 12–23 in Paris and features 32 teams competing for a $2 million prize pool. Its playoff stage uses a single-elimination format, making adaptation particularly important because there is little room for mistakes once the knockout bracket begins.

For G2, however, immediate placement is only one measurement of success.

How r1nkle behaves in opening situations, how effectively huNter- creates space, and whether the riflers find comfortable roles could reveal more about the roster’s long-term ceiling.

 

Ranking and VRS Impact

No specific post-interview ranking change should be attributed directly to sAw’s comments.

At the time of the interview, HLTV displayed G2 at No. 10 on the article page, while the Esports World Cup event listing included G2 among the participating teams.

Any future ranking or Valve Regional Standings movement will depend on competitive results rather than the roster explanation itself.

 

What Changes Now for G2?

There is unlikely to be one immediate tactical transformation.

Instead, G2 now enter an adaptation period built around several interconnected goals:

integrate r1nkle without removing the aggression that motivated his signing;

reduce unnecessary overpeeks and experience-related errors;

establish clearer opening responsibilities;

continue developing huNter- as an IGL;

find the optimal roles for MATYS and NertZ;

preserve HeavyGod’s established strengths;

compensate for the communication elements lost with SunPayus.

sAw acknowledged that the process will require both practice and official matches before G2 can properly evaluate the positives and negatives of their new balance.

 

What to Watch Next

The most important question is not simply whether r1nkle posts strong numbers.

Watch how G2 create their first advantage.

If r1nkle regularly contests early territory and produces opening picks without becoming overly reckless, the roster change will begin delivering the tactical value sAw described.

The second indicator is huNter-.

If the captain becomes more comfortable initiating T-side attacks while MATYS operates effectively behind him, G2 may be able to build a functional entry structure without employing a traditional entry specialist.

The third is consistency. sAw has already warned that r1nkle may fluctuate during the adaptation process, making longer-term evaluation more meaningful than judging the move from a small number of maps.

 

FAQ

What did sAw say about G2’s roster change?

sAw said G2 believed they needed “something more aggressive.” The coach explained that the team wanted an AWPer capable of taking more initiative, creating space and pursuing opening picks.

Why did G2 replace SunPayus with r1nkle?

According to sAw, there were multiple factors. G2 questioned how much further the previous roster could develop and believed r1nkle’s aggressive style could add qualities the lineup lacked.

What does sAw expect from r1nkle?

G2 expect r1nkle to provide aggression, mechanics and X-factor potential. sAw also believes his versatility across different weapons could eventually make him a more complete option, although the coach expects an adaptation period.

Does G2 have a dedicated entry fragger?

Not in the traditional sense. sAw said NertZ, MATYS, huNter- and HeavyGod are not natural entry players, creating an ongoing tactical challenge for the roster.

When did r1nkle join G2?

HLTV’s transfer records list r1nkle’s move from Ninjas in Pyjamas to G2 on June 25, 2026, the same date G2 benched SunPayus.