huNter- believes that as long as confidence is high, G2 is fully capable of breaking into the world's top five. After bringing in r1nkle during the offseason, the team first reached the EWC quarterfinals, then defeated Aurora and NAVI back-to-back at BLAST. "I'm really happy we were able to bounce back after losing to Spirit." Although a playoff spot isn't secured yet, he's not worried about upcoming opponents: with a complete lineup and a deep tactical pool, we have everything it takes to become a top-tier team.
Q: First of all, congratulations. What was your first reaction after finishing this series?
huNter-: We didn't show up at all in the loss to Spirit, so to bounce back from a loss like that and beat a strong team like NAVI today, I'm very, very happy. We've always struggled against NAVI in the past, at least in my career my head-to-head record hasn't been in my favor. To get the win this time, and to win so confidently, I'm really happy.
Q: Let's talk about Inferno. In the middle, it felt like NAVI was about to make a comeback — how did you stabilize the situation in the end?
huNter-: First, we had some economy problems, we ran out of money in the latter part of the first half. It's really hard to play CT side on Inferno without full utility. Later, there were a few rounds where we only had three players left on A, and NAVI happened to hit that site. Our positioning wasn't good enough, and we lacked utility to stop them. That was our main problem at the time.
Then the coach called a timeout. He told us to save some utility for Short, because NAVI like to hit A from Short. He told us to stay calm, that we still had the lead, and to play with confidence and at our own pace. After that we did it, and I'm glad we closed out the match.
Q: Inferno has always been a very solid map for you, you're comfortable playing individually and it's smooth for you to call on as well. Why is this map so good for G2?
huNter-: I think we have a very deep understanding of this map, we know how to play it, and the playstyle suits us. Everyone feels comfortable. We have a lot of weapons, we can play fast, we can play slow, we can do executes, and we can hit sudden rushes. We have a lot in store, I can't reveal the details for now (laughs), but opponents facing our CT side on Inferno will need to be prepared for everything.
Q: Do you think you guys are the best Inferno in the world?
huNter-: I don't really want to say that, because I don't know who's closest to us. I don't want to speak too definitively and say we're the best in the world. I'd rather stay grounded and keep practicing this map. If we play badly and lose, we'll review to see why we lost. But I can say we're one of the strongest in the world.
Q: Your next match is against M80 or Aurora, you must be feeling pretty confident, right? What do you think of these two opponents?
huNter-: We just played Aurora a few days ago, everyone knows it's not easy to face each other twice in a short time in the same tournament. We've played M80 quite a few times as well, faced them at the Major, played them at EWC, and we've always beaten them. So both opponents will be very eager to beat us, after all it's for a playoff spot. But I don't really care who the opponent is, we want to win just as much. Focus on ourselves, play like we did today, and I'm not worried.
Q: After r1nkle joined, as the IGL, what has he brought to you?
huNter-: He's really great. Young, with a bright future ahead of him. He's willing to listen to everyone's advice, and he's a proactive AWPer — he doesn't just look for picks at the start, he also actively makes suggestions and takes initiative mid-round. That's very important to me. Sometimes he's even too proactive, I might have to hold him back a little (laughs), but I'm really happy he joined.
If he continues to maintain his current work attitude, the future will be very bright for us and for himself. He has brought so much, it's hard for me to name just one or two things, really so much. He is very calm and always positive — all positives, nothing bad to say.
Q: G2 has always been in the position of a "fringe contender" — many have been waiting for you to take that next step and break into the world's top five, but it hasn't happened yet. Do you think you have what it takes now?
huNter-: I think the lineup is fine. It was the same before, actually — the problem lies in confidence. We need to build confidence, especially on an individual level. As a team we trust each other, our tactical system and tactical depth are very rich, we have everything it takes to become a top-tier team.
Since NertZ joined, apart from Rio which I didn't play, we've made the playoffs in almost every tournament. The next step is obvious — to reach more finals and compete for titles. I think we're fully capable of doing that. It comes down to ourselves — building confidence and fixing mistakes. It's not something that can be solved by grinding aim or playing FACEIT, but by reviewing matches, reviewing practice, and fixing the issues — that's the way to improve.