huNter-: "I don't care what people are [saying about HooXi]"

After G2's win versus Astralis in the semifinals of IEM Cologne 2023, Dust2.us' Jeffrey "Mnmzzz" Moore caught up with Nemanja "huNter-" Kovač to discuss some of the doubts that fans and pundits have had about the team as well, how huNter- has changed since joining G2, as well as what it would mean for them to take the trophy home today.

G2 have had a very consistent run here at IEM Cologne, qualifying directly from their IEM Katowice win in February, they were seeded directly into the group stage. There, they bested Astralis, FaZe Clan, and Vitality — all strong opponents — to take the top seed out of Group A. In the playoffs, a swift 2-0 win over Astralis once more placed them in the grand final versus ENCE today.

At the start of 2023 G2 won IEM Katowice, but since then there has been a trophy drought. Knowing that we're at the last big CS:GO event of history how does it feel to in a position to take IEM Cologne?

It feels amazing especially because we have had a lot of ups and down, and lately a lot of downs. Playing this event and trusting this lineup after the break felt good and we've played really good as far and hopefully we'll keep it up.

There have been many pundits, fans, and casters alike who have doubted this roster and said HooXi needs to go. Even your management admitted they were looking at changing him, how important is it for you guys to end CS:GO by proving everyone wrong?

Honestly I don't care what people are talking about; random people or even casters or anyone. I know how how much work we've put in and HooXi especially and I just trust my teammates, my team that is always around, and my management staff and they all see what we are doing.

I just trust them and care what they will say about me and about my team. What everyone else is saying I don't care and the most important thing is trust in our team and what we have now and what back then and hope we will keep it up like that.

In one month it will be your four-year anniversary with G2, with that in mind how do think you've grown as a player since coming into G2?

At the beginning of the team we had a French lineup and it wasn't easy because they'd never played with an international lineup and we had some problems with language and everything but we worked a lot. After we brought in NiKo, I think we became more serious and contenders for trophies and top five more consistently.

As a player I think I've improved, maybe not stats wise because in CR4ZY I had some star roles and at the beginning of G2. Now I still have good roles but I'm not a star player in the team, so there's less pressure for me of course. I've been improving and working more and more to be even better every day.

What would the emotional impact be of winning one last CS:GO trophy with NiKo your cousin after watching him be a star for so long?

That's a dream for me and especially after we won Katowice. I was watching him losing every final, and I lost two as well with him. Here as well we played our first finals together so of course we are enjoying being together on the server but even in hotels, traveling together, and doing everything because that was our dream since we started playing.

I brought him to G2 in the end even though I started playing after him, so it feels good. We're trying to enjoy every moment on stage, off stage, so it feels amazing.

G2 are starting their grand final BO5 versus ENCE right now in the LANXESS arena, with Nuke set as the first map of the series.