G2 book VP rematch as they complete IEM Chengdu playoff bracket

HEROIC came back from 5-11 down on map two to secure overtime, but G2 rallied to confirm a 2-0 win.

G2 have taken down HEROIC for the third time in a row to finalize the six-team playoff bracket at IEM Chengdu.

Ilya "⁠m0NESY⁠" Osipov — who Nemanja "⁠huNter-⁠" Kovač said was in the "best form" of anyone in the world right now post-match — ended the series atop the scoreboard again after finding the crucial impact that took G2 over the finish line on map two. It was needed, too, after HEROIC recovered from 5-11 and 7-12 down to force overtime off the back of two unlikely 3v5 victories before G2 rallied to secure the 2-0 win.

The result was emblematic of G2 on CS2, who have maintained a high floor results-wise despite continued question marks around the roster and shaky showings on the eye test. When you include BLAST World Final's 5-6th placed finish, it is G2's tenth Big Event playoff appearance in a row but more is still expected of 2023's second best team.

G2's quarter-final opponents will be Virtus.pro, who they squeezed past in Copenhagen off the back of Dzhami "⁠Jame⁠" Ali's infamous NVIDIA alt-tab bug on Inferno.

Date	Matches
IEM Chengdu 2024
12/04/2024	Virtus.pro 09:00 G2	Match

It was a slow start for G2 in Chengdu, but a quick one against HEROIC as they took the fight to Damjan "⁠kyxsan⁠" Stoilkovski's squad on their opponent's pick of Ancient. With trash talk flowing in both directions, the game went back and forth with Nikola "⁠NiKo⁠" Kovač and Nemanja "⁠nexa⁠" Isaković leading the way for G2.

At 7-9 down, however, Rasmus "⁠HooXi⁠" Nielsen took it up a notch with some well-placed attacks onto an empty A bomb-site and G2 won six of the final seven rounds. The only round they lost in that run was a 5v4 post-plant on A, with HEROIC fully locked out, in a sign of what was to come on Nuke.

Initially, G2 were in full control. huNter-, who has struggled on CS2, delivered some of his trademark impact in multiple triple kills while NiKo was topping the scoreboard Outside.

At 12-9 up, though, G2's ghosts came back to haunt them. m0NESY provided the smoothest of runways to the arena with not one but two opening kills, which left G2 in a 5v3 with A Main mollied and 15 seconds to go. Somehow, HEROIC broke back into the round and they completed a similar feat at 11-12 after sneaking into Secret with G2 caught unawares.

In overtime, heads were screwed back on and m0NESY was the key man yet again as HEROIC were finally put away and G2 confirmed their playoff berth.

For HEROIC, it is another case of coming close but leaving without the cigar. The new international lineup has shown plenty of promise and broke into the top 10 of the world rankings, but their wait for an arena match continues.