Author: Sam "AN1MO" McKenzie
Considering it wasn’t too long ago that Evil Geniuses was home to the best team in North America, its descent into becoming one of the biggest laughing stocks in Counter-Strike history has been rather sad to watch.Burdened by their choice to continue representing a region with a weak talent pool, EG doubled down on that decision by implementing their ‘blueprint model’. They did this by signing two of the lesser NA rosters and growing their player numbers to 15. This was done with the idea that they could support the growth of young talent in the region and promote them…
As G2 entered IEM Katowice 2023, all conversations around the team were focused on their impressive map-winning streak. A streak that was already up to 11 by the time of their opening match-up versus BIG, they had extended it to 17 by the time the Playoffs kicked off.As was said to Rasmus ‘HooXi’ Nielsen and Jan ‘Swani’ Muller during their live HLTV Confirmed segment, G2 wouldn’t even have to win the event to break Natus Vincere’s record of 19 maps; they would just have to win their Semi-final 2-0 and the first map in the Grand-final. As it happened, they…
Perhaps a surprise inclusion to the teams competing at ESL Impact Katowice, Saints capped off their rapid ascension in NA Impact by qualifying for the event by defeating EG Gold. Unfortunately, their time in Poland ended in disappointment, and since then, their roster has undergone multiple changes.Read more: GFi: “My greatest hope is for us to someday have that same ecosystem of leagues like in NA & EU”With Impact Season 3 already underway and their opening match against CLG Red just around the corner, we sat down with IGL Anna ‘buhnny’ Cheung to discuss the team’s changes and future.Sam ‘AN1MO’…
After being on the bench of OG since May last year, Danish journeyman Nikolaj ‘niko’ Kristensen is finally back on the server with the team while Nemanja ‘nexa’ Isakovic has a spell on the sidelines.We sat down with niko to discuss his return to the team, taking on the role of IGL for the first time, and his future in CS:GO.Sam ‘AN1MO’ McKenzie, BLIX.GG: Right now, you’re standing in for OG; how did this position come about?Nikolaj ‘niko’ Kristensen: It all happened very fast when OG reached out to me. Nexa decided he needed a break for personal reasons and…
Many were unsure what to expect when Vitality’s French project came to an end, and it was announced the organization would be going international. However, some were excited by the prospect with the signings of former Astralis trio Emil ‘Magisk’ Reif, Peter dupreeh’ Rasmussen, and Danny ‘zonic’ Sorensen.Sadly, it didn’t work out, with star Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut’s performances taking a hit. He failed to carry them to the heights he had while the team still spoke in his native tongue. Young star Kevin ‘misutaaa’ Rabier was the player to take the fall, with one of the stars of early-2022, ENCE’s…
Vitality made the Playoffs in Katowice, the first time their star Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut had played in the Spodek. It didn’t go entirely to plan, however, as they could never have predicted what would happen in their eventual elimination against Liquid.In the second half of our interview with IGL Dan ‘apEX’ Madesclaire and coach Danny ‘zonic’ Sorensen, we discuss the game versus Liquid and their hopes for the rest of the year. You can view part one here.AN1MO, BLIX.GG: The Liquid series was a rollercoaster of emotions the whole way through. Can you guys take me through that and how…
Vitality made the Playoffs in Katowice, the first time their star Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut had played in the Spodek. It didn’t go entirely to plan, however, as they could never have predicted what would happen in their eventual elimination against Liquid.After their match against Liquid, we sat down with coach Danny ‘zonic’ Sorensen and In-Game Leader Dan ‘apEX’ Madesclaire to discuss their relationship, as well as the evolution of both of their roles. This is part one of the interview. You can view part two here.Sam ‘AN1MO’ McKenzie, BLIX.GG: Okay, so how would you describe your approach when you first…
Olga “olga” Rodrigues is one of ESL Impact’s premier players. Her team, FURIA Fe, has long been the second-best team in the competition. After recent changes and the inclusion of Gabriela ‘bokor’ Bokor, they are looking to stake a claim for Nigma Galaxy’s coveted position of the best team in Women’s CS:GO.Although they fell to Nigma in Katowice, they are hopeful for their future. After the loss to Nigma, we caught up with olga to discuss just that.Sam ‘AN1MO’ McKenzie, BLIX.GG: So despite a very close series, unfortunately, you lost in the semifinal. How are you feeling about it?Olga “olga”…
Back in 2022, Ilya ‘m0NESY’ Osipov was defeated in the final of his first LAN on G2 in Katowice. Now, a year later and with his star shining brighter than ever, the young AWPer finds himself on the winning side after G2 took down Heroic 3-1.After the final, we sat down with m0NESY to discuss the match and his ambition to become an even more dangerous player.Sam ‘AN1MO’ McKenzie, BLIX.GG: Congratulations! Can you take me through the series from your perspective?Ilya ‘m0NESY’ Osipov: We did an amazing job. We won 3-1, even though we lost a map. But it doesn’t…
Years after joining and eventually being joined by his cousin, Nikola ‘NiKo’ Kovac, Nemanja ‘huNter-‘ Kovac finds himself as a key figure in the best team in the world. After trouncing the competition at IEM Katowice 2023, the Bosnian was awarded the MVP as he and his cousin claimed their first big event trophy together.After the final, we caught up with huNter- to discuss his feelings after lifting the trophy, as well as winning the MVP for the event and how much further this seemingly unstoppable G2 team can go.Sam ‘AN1MO’ McKenzie, BLIX.GG: Congratulations, you won the final 3-1. How…