Snax Moves to Bench at G2 Esports: Changes in Roster and Future Prospects

On July 11, 2025, G2 Esports officially announced the transfer of team leader Janusz "Snax" Pogorzelski to the inactive roster of their Counter-Strike 2 squad. The decision was shared on the organization's social media (G2 CS Twitter) and confirmed by international sources. The Polish player has not yet commented on the situation.

Who is Snax and his role in G2

Janusz Pogorzelski is a CS veteran with over 15 years of experience. Before joining G2, he played for teams like Virtus.pro and GamerLegion, winning major tournaments (including the legendary EMS One Katowice 2014 Major). In July 2024, Snax joined G2 Esports as captain and in-game leader (IGL) after the departure of Rasmus "HooXi" Nielsen. With him, G2 achieved significant success, including two consecutive victories in top-tier tournaments and consistently strong performances in elite leagues.

Key Achievements with G2

• BLAST Premier: Fall Final 2024 – G2 won the tournament, defeating NAVI in the final.

• BLAST Premier: World Final 2024 – G2 became champions once again, crushing Team Spirit in the final.

• Esports World Cup 2024 – G2 took second place in the debut tournament with Snax on the roster.

• PGL Shanghai Major 2024 – G2 reached the semifinals (4th place) under Snax's leadership.

These victories brought G2 major titles for the first time in a long while, largely thanks to Snax's "structured" playstyle, which allowed stars like NiKo and m0NESY to shine. According to G2 representatives, "Without Snax, we wouldn't have been able to lift the BLAST Fall Final and World Final trophies."

Decline in G2’s Performance in 2025

However, in 2025, the team's performance sharply declined. After a strong start and high expectations, G2 failed to advance past the group stage of three major tournaments in a row. Specifically:

• PGL Astana Major 2025 – elimination in the groups (0:2 vs NIP).

• IEM Dallas 2025 – 1:2 loss in the group to GamerLegion.

• BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 – group-stage exit after a 0:2 loss to The MongolZ.

• PGL Bucharest 2025 – G2 reached the final but lost 0:3 to Falcons.

The situation was worsened by a "brain drain": in early 2025, team leader and star player Nikola "NiKo" Kovač moved to Falcons, and by the end of the season, Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov followed suit. The loss of key players and the "voice" in the middle of the round seriously impacted G2’s effectiveness. During this period, Snax's individual performance came under criticism—his rating dropped, and there were no "green" tournaments (positive KD) in any championships.

Snax's Individual Stats

In his year with G2, Snax’s statistics were not particularly impressive. His average rating (according to HLTV) during his time with G2 was around 0.88, almost identical to the previous IGL Rasmus HooXi (0.87). He never finished a tournament with a "green" (positive) rating, and set one of the longest streaks with a negative kill/death ratio (K/D) in top-tier CS history. All of this raises doubts about his effectiveness as a captain in the current roster.

Changes in G2 Esports' Roster

Alongside Snax, in June-July 2025, G2 made a series of roster changes:

• Departed: Viktor "TaZ" Wójtas and Aleksander "hades" Miskiewicz left the roster (announced in June 2025).

• Joined: In their place, Álvaro "SunPayus" García (AWP, ex-Heroic) and Eetu "sAw" Saha (head coach, ex-Heroic) were brought in.

IGL: Following Snax’s departure, the new captain (IGL) became Nemanja "huNter-" Kovač, who previously played for G2 as a flex player.

Roster Additions: ESL officially registered Scandinavian rifler Matusz "Matys" Shimko from Fnatic for the upcoming IEM Cologne 2025, confirming the rumors of his transfer to G2. Thus, before Cologne, G2 will form the following main roster (according to HLTV):

• Nemanja "huNter-" Kovač — IGL (captain).

• Mario "malbsMd" Samayoa — entry fragger.

• Nikita "HeavyGod" Martynenko — support.

• Álvaro "SunPayus" García — AWP.

• Matusz "Matys" Shimko — rifler (registered for IEM Cologne).

• Coach: Eetu "sAw" Saha.

These changes mark a complete overhaul of G2's roster: former leaders have left, and instead of a traditional IGL model, the team is shifting to a "more flexible" playstyle with huNter- as the captain.

IEM Cologne 2025: Play-In and Groups Determined

Snax's Future

Janusz Pogorzelski's future remains unclear. As of mid-July 2025, no G2 officials have commented on Snax's future career. The player himself has refrained from making any statements (he "did not comment on his benching"). According to insiders, Snax is considering various options: he is open to continuing his playing career or potentially taking on a coaching role, thanks to his experience and ability to work with young talents.

Thus, Snax’s move to the bench is the result of a complex interplay of factors: G2’s decline without key stars, Snax’s relatively weak individual performance, and a strategic restructuring of the roster. G2 thanks Janusz for his contributions to the victories in 2024 and is now seeking a new direction for the 2025 season (with the first tournament being IEM Cologne) with an updated roster.