G2 best forZe to advance to New Legends Stage

G2 bested FORZE 2-0 to secure a placement in the New Legends stage of the StarLadder Berlin Major.

The best-of-three began on Dust2, where Richard "⁠shox⁠" Papillon and his men kicked off swimmingly on the T side, opening with an immediate six-round lead. FORZE retaliated with two round conversions but then experienced recurring issues on the defense, leading to an 11-4 half for G2.

Two initial round victories on the defense for the Frenchmen placed the team three rounds short of concluding the map. However Andrey "⁠Jerry⁠" Mekhryakov and company hit the ground running on the offense, closing the round discrepancy to just three. The defense continued to be lackluster for G2, as the favorites produced map point but failed to capitalize on that, allowing their opponents to take them to overtime.

An additional 23 rounds were played out in the succeeding four overtimes before G2 pulled through in the end, closing the series on a grueling 28-25 note.

Inferno followed, where G2 continued on a high note, following up a successful CT-side pistol with two more rounds, securing an early lead. FORZE converted their first rifle round but were unable to follow up with momentum, allowing the Frenchmen to gain a steady lead. This dynamic persisted to the conclusion of the first half, producing a dominant 11-4 half for G2.

A second pistol round victory on the offense meant an even bigger lead for G2, who maintained pressure on their opponents, bolstered by a spectacular 1v2 clutch conversion from shox in round 18. Upon achieving map point, G2 were faced against a weakened buy on the part of FORZE, who managed to extend the series against the odds. Despite a formidable comeback attempt that saw FORZE secure seven consecutive rounds, G2 managed to close out the series as a 2v3 conversion from the French side produced a 16-12 victory and advancement to the next stage of the Major.