The Russian squad, fielding a roster with two stand-ins, struggled mightily to compete against the top-seeded European squad, who looked revitalized on the big stage.
G2 Esports completely crushed Team BB in the BLAST Bounty Hunt quarterfinals, marking their first LAN victory in the post-Nikola "NiKo" Kovač era.
m0NESY Delivers a Masterclass
Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov stole the show with an exceptional display of skill, racking up 36 kills across two quick maps. His standout performance on Anubis, where he posted a staggering 2.34 HLTV rating, cemented his role as the decisive factor in G2’s commanding victory. With seven multi-kills on the first map alone, m0NESY made it clear that BetBoom were out of their depth.
#BLASTPremier @G2m0NESY pic.twitter.com/smlr6BpJZk
— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) January 23, 2025
BetBoom entered the series without their in-game leader, Kirill "Boombl4" Mikhailov, and their AWPer, Aleksandr "zorte" Zagodyrenko, both sidelined by visa issues. The team turned to bench players Vladislav "nafany" Gorshkov and Aleksandr "KaiR0N-" Anashkin as replacements, but the lack of cohesion was evident.
The team had their choice of opponents - NAVI, Spirit, Vitality, or G2 - during the draft. Opting to face G2, BetBoom paid a heavy price as they struggled to keep up. Though, with two stand-ins, their chances were slim against any of those top-tier teams.
BetBoom chose Anubis as the opening map, but quickly found themselves outmatched. Starting on the less favorable CT side, they failed to find their footing as G2 capitalized on their vulnerabilities. m0NESY was unstoppable, spearheading G2’s attack and helping the team to a dominant 10-2 half. After losing the opening pistol round, G2 immediately bounced back with a force-buy win and never looked back, closing out the map 13-2, in ruthless fashion.
Tier 1 LAN tournament or matchmaking, you decide #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/d27nEd31h6
— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) January 23, 2025
G2 carried their momentum into Dust2, their map pick, where they delivered another crushing blow. m0NESY and Nikita "HeavyGod" Martynenko continued to shine, as BetBoom did manage a brief streak of three rounds, but failed to sustain any meaningful resistance, ending the series with just five rounds to their name. G2 won the map 13-3 to advance into the semifinals.
In a post-match interview, Nemanja "huNter-" Kovač discussed his role in taking over some of the calling duties in NiKo’s absence. "I want my boys to be really focused on their crosshairs because they are really good when they are focused. I'm trying to help as much as I can," huNter- explained, emphasizing his effort to support his teammates and keep them performing at their best.
HEAVYGAWDDDD #BLASTPremier @HeavyGodCS pic.twitter.com/ECbfONfoSE
— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) January 23, 2025
huNter- also praised HeavyGod’s contribution to the lineup: "We finally have a really good anchor that you can trust and leave alone, even in difficult situations. He’s been an incredible addition." G2 now await the semifinals, where one of the two lower-seeded teams will once again choose them as their opponent. With this commanding victory, G2 have proven that they remain a dominant force, even in the post-NiKo era.
For BetBoom, the result raises questions about what could have been, if they had fielded their full roster.