G2 beat Natus Vincere 2-0 to stay alive at BLAST Open

G2 eliminated Natus Vincere 2-0 at BLAST Open Porto on Aug. 31, winning Ancient 13-6 and Inferno 13-10. The result sends G2 to the lower-bracket final, where they will play the winner of Aurora and M80 for a spot in the playoffs.

On Ancient, G2 established control after an early exchange of rounds and closed the first half on defense with a 9-3 lead. G2 won the second-half pistol round. Natus Vincere briefly extended the match with a force-buy round, but Nikita ‘HeavyGod’ Martynenko converted a 1v3 clutch that pushed G2 to six map points and a 13-6 finish.

On Inferno, G2 built a 10-4 lead after a strong T-side showing. Natus Vincere narrowed the gap to 10-11, but G2 won the late rounds to secure a 13-10 victory and remain in the tournament.

Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko finished with 37 kills and the highest match rating for G2. Matúš “MATYS” Šimko and Artem “r1nkle” Moroz also posted positive numbers for G2. For Natus Vincere, Mihai “iM” Ivani led the team in kills. Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen recorded 11 kills and 26 deaths and posted a low rating for the match.

In a post-match interview, Aleksib called the performance “just not good enough,” saying he could have done better on Ancient and pointing to communication issues during rounds. He noted the team had prepared intensively for six weeks and described the exit as disappointing. Aleksib said the squad needs to clear their minds and try something fresh before the next event.

Natus Vincere now have just over two weeks to prepare for StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026, which begins on Sept. 17. G2 will meet the Aurora or M80 winner in the lower-bracket final to compete for a playoff berth at BLAST Open Porto.