G2 Esports makes quick work of 3DMAX to open up their IEM Chengdu campaign. Dominating in the first map and a solid display on the second, G2 is here to play and under the leadership of huNter, not quite heavy favorites but a force to be reckoned with.
VETO
- 3DMAX removed Mirage
- G2 removed Nuke
- 3DMAX picked Inferno
- G2 picked Train
- 3DMAX removed Ancient
- G2 removed Overpass
- Dust2 was left over
Map 1: Inferno; Pick: 3DMAX; Winner: G2
Having gone 4-0 down, G2 lost their first round but got back to their winning ways just the round after. The defense that looked almost impenetrable allowed 3DMAX to plant the C4 on several occasions, leading to a heavily one-sided half of 11-1 before switching sides. The pistol round saw G2 hit the map point, but they started bleeding rounds from the next. 3DMAX managed to put together 7 rounds in a row, but the lead proved too much to surmount, leading to G2 closing the map with a 13-8 scoreline. It goes without saying that the score by anything but indicative of what went down. With 20 kills from huNter, G2 got off to an early lead in the series, that also on 3DMAX’s pick.
Map 2: Train; Pick: G2; Winner: G2
3-0 start from G2, set the tone for their offense, leaving 3DMAX in disarray. On the first gun round, the French side got their first round, upon which both teams remained fairly matched, but G2 edged out a narrow lead of 7-5 before switching sides. G2 built on their narrow lead to hit series point while losing only a single round in the process, upon which a futile attempt at a comeback by 3DMAX got stopped after 2 rounds. 24-8 scoreline from HeavyGod secured a 13-8 scoreline on Train for G2, putting them in the upper bracket moving forward in Chengdu.
The performance was impressive and convincing, but judging a team on their opening day performances has not always yielded the most accurate assumptions. Unless G2 can replicate the same against other top-tier opposition, these wins would make little to no difference.