SunPayus credits mindset shift as G2 show promise at BLAST Rivals

SunPayus credits mindset shift as G2 show promise at BLAST Rivals

Álvaro “SunPayus” García believes a calmer and more constructive mindset has been one of the main reasons behind his improved form at BLAST Rivals 2026 Season 1. The Spanish AWPer spoke after G2’s 2-1 defeat to Vitality in the group upper-bracket final, a result that sent Vitality directly to the semi-finals and left G2 to begin the arena playoffs from the quarter-finals. 

Despite the loss, SunPayus was one of G2’s standout performers in Texas. He averaged a 1.23 rating across the five maps G2 played in the group stage, including a 1.35-rated series in the 2-0 win over Astralis and strong numbers across the first two maps against Vitality before Dust2 slipped away from G2.

The 27-year-old said he feels “better day by day,” linking his improvement not only to in-game work but also to changes outside the server. Instead of dwelling on mistakes or judging himself harshly, SunPayus said he is trying to approach problems with curiosity — asking what can be fixed and what can be learned. That change, according to him, has helped him stay focused round by round. 

G2’s campaign began with a confident victory over Astralis, where they won Dust2 13-5 and Overpass 13-9. HLTV described the performance as a convincing one, with G2 showing too much firepower for an Astralis side that struggled to keep pace. That win moved G2 into the seeding match against Vitality, the world No. 1 team at the event. 

Against Vitality, G2 pushed the series close early. Vitality won Mirage 16-13, G2 answered on Overpass, and the deciding Dust2 ended in a one-sided 13-3 for Vitality. SunPayus explained that Dust2 snowballed after early round problems, including a lost pistol sequence, a broken force-buy setup, late rotations, and several individual and decision-making mistakes. He stressed that the collapse was not purely tactical, but also a reminder of how quickly Vitality can punish errors. 

The result also fit into the wider story of Vitality’s dominant 2026. They went on to win BLAST Rivals Season 1 by beating Natus Vincere 3-0 in the grand final, securing their fifth title in a row. HLTV noted that G2 were one of the teams that managed to take a map off Vitality in Texas, but Vitality still left the event with their winning reputation intact. 

For G2, the encouraging part is that the team is still relatively new. Guy “NertZ” Iluz joined G2 in March in a swap deal that sent Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa to Liquid. The move reunited NertZ with coach Eetu “sAw” Saha and SunPayus, with whom he had previously worked in ENCE. 

That reunion has quickly become an important storyline for G2. Earlier in April, NertZ said he had “full confidence” in the players and system around him, while SunPayus also said he was happy to play with him again. G2 then won Stake Ranked Episode 1, their first title with NertZ, after an undefeated run through the bracket. 

The team’s progress has not been instant, though. Coach sAw previously explained that G2 had to integrate NertZ quickly because of roster timing around the Major cut-off, forcing the team into tournaments without as much practice as they would have liked. That context makes their BLAST Rivals showing more notable: G2 arrived as one of the underdogs in an eight-team field featuring several top-10 sides, but still reached the playoffs and challenged Vitality on two maps. 

SunPayus also commented on CS2’s AnimGraph 2 update, saying he felt the change had been positive overall. He pointed especially to spraying, which he described as more consistent and stable, while saying the AWP itself did not feel dramatically different to him. Valve’s official release notes confirm that AnimGraph 2 changes went live in the April 21 update, with later fixes also addressing aim punch behavior. 

Looking ahead from the group stage, SunPayus said he was excited to play in front of a crowd again and expressed confidence in G2’s direction. His message was measured: G2 still needed to stay grounded, but with NertZ only recently added and the team already showing visible improvement, the Spanish AWPer sounded convinced that the roster is moving in the right direction.