{"id":36013,"date":"2026-04-09T06:30:04","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T06:30:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/?p=36013"},"modified":"2026-04-09T14:14:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T14:14:33","slug":"hunter-to-miss-iem-rio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/news\/cs-2\/hunter-to-miss-iem-rio\/","title":{"rendered":"CS2: huNter- out of IEM Rio 2026 \u2014 G2 to use tAk as stand-in"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Nemanja \u201chuNter-\u201d Kova\u010d will miss <a href=\"https:\/\/pro.eslgaming.com\/tour\/cs\/rio\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">IEM Rio 2026<\/a> after suffering a foot injury he says includes a slightly cracked bone and severely stretched ligaments. G2 Esports will replace him with their academy player Vilius \u201ctAk\u201d Keserauskas from G2 Ares as a stand-in for the April 13 event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Bosnian rifler expressed frustration at missing the Brazilian event, stating he hopes to recover quickly and return for upcoming competitions. This marks another unfortunate interruption for <strong>G2<\/strong>, who had only recently begun stabilizing their lineup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">G2 Replace huNter- With Academy Stand-in tAk at IEM Rio 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Due to unforeseen circumstances, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/takesh1cs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@takesh1cs<\/a> will stand in for huNter during our IEM Rio run. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/bnZGHIGGh2\">pic.twitter.com\/bnZGHIGGh2<\/a><\/p>&mdash; G2 CS (@G2CSGO) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/G2CSGO\/status\/2041924094346604734?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">April 8, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>To fill the gap, <strong>G2 <\/strong>will field academy player Vilius &#8216;<strong>tAk<\/strong>&#8216; Keserauskas from<strong> G2 Ares<\/strong> as a stand-in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 21-year-old will be stepping into <strong>tier-one competition for the first time<\/strong>, having spent roughly 18 months developing within the organization\u2019s academy system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While relatively untested at this level, <strong>tAk <\/strong>has shown promise, making this event a potential breakout opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">G2 Shift In-Game Leadership to SunPayus (with NertZ Support) for IEM Rio 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/sunpp.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-36015\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/sunpp.jpg 800w, https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/sunpp-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/sunpp-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/sunpp-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/sunpp-450x300.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u00c1lvaro &#8216;<strong>SunPayus<\/strong>&#8216; Garc\u00eda <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>With <strong>huNter-<\/strong> absent, in-game responsibilities will also shift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00c1lvaro &#8216;<strong>SunPayus<\/strong>&#8216; Garc\u00eda is expected to take on <strong>leadership duties<\/strong>, supported by Guy &#8216;<strong>NertZ<\/strong>&#8216; Iluz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This adjustment comes at a delicate time, as <strong>G2 <\/strong>is still integrating <strong>NertZ <\/strong>into the lineup following recent roster moves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">huNter- Injury Disrupts G2 Preparation Days Before IEM Rio 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Taking this one home \ud83c\udfc6<br><br>Not the biggest trophy, but let&#39;s respect the grind.<br>New roster, barely any scrims, two weeks abroad without PC access outside of officials, bouncing from city to city, no days off, pure lovely chaos. And still, the boys decided to show up and fight.<br><br>Far\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/xj9Aae3yqF\">https:\/\/t.co\/xj9Aae3yqF<\/a><\/p>&mdash; G2 Peca (@pecagg) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/pecagg\/status\/2040511347813969994?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 4, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The timing could hardly be worse for <strong>G2<\/strong>. The team recently secured a victory at<a href=\"https:\/\/liquipedia.net\/counterstrike\/Stake_Ranked\/Episode_1\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/liquipedia.net\/counterstrike\/Stake_Ranked\/Episode_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <strong>Stake Ranked Episode 1<\/strong><\/a><strong> <\/strong>and had been building momentum despite a packed schedule of tier-two LAN events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, limited practice with their updated roster was already a concern, and <strong>huNter-<\/strong> absence only compounds the issue heading into a major international event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">G2 IEM Rio 2026 Roster List Featuring tAk as huNter- Stand-in<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>G2<\/strong> will attend<strong> IEM Rio<\/strong> with the following lineup:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mat\u00fa\u0161 &#8216;<strong>MATYS<\/strong>&#8216; \u0160imko<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nikita &#8216;<strong>HeavyGod<\/strong>&#8216; Martynenko<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u00c1lvaro &#8216;<strong>SunPayus<\/strong>&#8216; Garc\u00eda<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Guy &#8216;<strong>NertZ<\/strong>&#8216; Iluz<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Vilius &#8216;<strong>tAk<\/strong>&#8216; Keserauskas (stand-in)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Eetu &#8216;<strong>sAw<\/strong>&#8216; Saha (coach)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What huNter- Missing IEM Rio 2026 Means for G2 and Stand-in tAk<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>G2 <\/strong>enters <strong>IEM Rio<\/strong> with <strong>reduced firepower and minimal preparation<\/strong>, placing additional pressure on both their new addition, <strong>NertZ, <\/strong>and their stand-in, <strong>tAk, <\/strong>to perform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For <strong>tAk<\/strong>, the event represents a rare chance to prove himself on the big stage. For <strong>G2<\/strong>, it\u2019s a test of resilience, one that could define their trajectory heading into the next stretch of the 2026 season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nemanja \u201chuNter-\u201d Kova\u010d will miss IEM Rio 2026 after suffering a foot injury he says includes a slightly cracked bone and severely stretched ligaments. G2 Esports will replace him with their academy player Vilius \u201ctAk\u201d Keserauskas from G2 Ares as a stand-in for the April 13 event. The Bosnian rifler expressed frustration at missing the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":36014,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[5,11,247],"class_list":{"0":"post-36013","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cs-2","8":"tag-cs2","9":"tag-cs2-news","10":"tag-cs2-tournaments"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36013","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/75"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36013"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36013\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36030,"href":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36013\/revisions\/36030"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36014"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}