G2 Esports have confirmed that Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač will not travel to Brazil for IEM Rio 2026. The Bosnian rifler and in-game leader is dealing with a foot injury that rules him out of the tournament entirely.
G2 announced they will field G2 Ares member Vilius “tAk” Keserauskas as a stand-in for huNter- at IEM Rio “due to unforeseen circumstances.” Those circumstances were clarified by a photo from huNter- showing a cast on his foot.
huNter- himself broke down the injury on X. He said: “Sucks to not be able to go to Brazil and help my team, play in front of amazing crowd, but I hope that I will recover quick and be ready for next challenges. Btw, bone is a tiny bit cracked and ligaments are severely stretched.”
Leadership Changes at IEM Rio
With huNter- out, G2 needed to redistribute responsibilities. He has been the team’s in-game leader. When contacted by HLTV, G2’s CS General Manager Petar “peca” Marković confirmed that Álvaro “SunPayus” García will take up leadership duties, with support from Guy “NertZ” Iluz, for the duration of the event.
SunPayus stepping into a leadership role is a notable shift. The Spanish AWPer is not a regular IGL. NertZ sharing the responsibilities alongside him is an improvised arrangement, born from necessity rather than prior planning.
Who Is tAk
tAk will get his first taste of Tier 1 competition after 18 months on G2 Ares, during which he has averaged a team-high 1.11 rating.
The Lithuanian player has been one of the standout performers in the G2 academy setup. A 1.11 rating over 18 months is a strong number at that level. IEM Rio is a different environment entirely. This is his chance to show he belongs.
Why the Timing Hurts
The injury is poorly timed even by the standards of pre-tournament problems.
The news comes as a blow to G2 in the wake of their Stake Ranked Episode 1 victory, where they had just been coming to grips following the swap of Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa for NertZ.
That roster swap happened in March. G2 brought in NertZ from Team Liquid and moved malbsMd in the other direction. It was G2’s third Tier 2 LAN in a row as the team worked to get NertZ on the roster ahead of the cut-off for the IEM Cologne Major, and that schedule meant the team got little practice with their new addition.
So the situation heading into IEM Rio is this: G2 just won their first title with NertZ, but they barely had time to build chemistry as a five-man unit. Now they are heading into one of the biggest non-Major LANs of the year without their captain and IGL, with an academy stand-in stepping up at the last minute.
huNter-‘s absence in Rio will further compound that issue, and the team will be hoping for his recovery in time for the start of BLAST Rivals on April 27.
That is the next key date on G2’s calendar. BLAST Rivals starts April 27. If huNter- cannot make it back by then, G2 face a second consecutive event without a proper IGL structure.
G2’s Roster for IEM Rio 2026
G2 will line up as follows at IEM Rio:
- Matúš “MATYS” Šimko
- Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko
- Álvaro “SunPayus” García
- Guy “NertZ” Iluz
- Vilius “tAk” Keserauskas (stand-in)
- Eetu “sAw” Saha (coach)
For more context on how G2 arrived at this lineup, the IEM Rio 2026 opening matchups breakdown on TalkEsport covers the full group draw, including who G2 face on day one.
About IEM Rio 2026
IEM Rio 2026 runs from April 13 to April 19 at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The tournament features 16 teams competing for a $300,000 prize pool. The event uses a double-elimination, best-of-three group stage format, with group winners advancing directly to the semi-finals.
Fans can attend in person on the final three days, April 17 to 19. This is only the second time a top-tier CS2 event has taken place in Brazil, with IEM previously visiting Rio in 2022, 2023, and 2024 before skipping 2025.
G2 are in Group A, alongside Vitality, Spirit, Falcons, Liquid, 3DMAX, RED Canids, and Gentle Mates. For a full look at the IEM Cologne Major coming up in June, check the IEM Cologne 2026 CS2 Major teams list on TalkEsport, which confirmed G2 have already secured their slot at that event.
What This Means for G2 at the Tournament
G2 just won Stake Ranked Episode 1, their first title with NertZ. That run saw them go undefeated through the eight-team bracket, beating Nemesis, GamerLegion, and BetBoom twice. The form was there. The confidence was building.
Now they go to Rio without the player who leads them in-game. SunPayus will call. NertZ will help. tAk will play his first Tier 1 match. Coach sAw will have a lot of work to do.
The IEM Cologne Major in June is the bigger prize on the horizon. G2 have their spot locked in. The question now is whether they can hold their form together through this period of disruption, get huNter- healthy, and arrive in Cologne in a better shape than they are in right now.
The IEM Krakow 2026 recap on TalkEsport showed G2 reaching the quarter-finals with the previous roster, only to fall to MOUZ. With NertZ now fully integrated, many expected Rio to be a step forward. With huNter- out, that expectation just got more complicated.
G2’s first match at IEM Rio 2026 is on April 13. They open against Gentle Mates in Group A.
