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Nikola “NiKo” Kovač’s recent decision to remain with G2 Esports has sent shockwaves through the esports community, as it thwarted Falcons’ ambitious plans to build a world-class Counter-Strike 2 team for 2024.
The Bosnian star was widely anticipated to join the Falcons, with reports suggesting that a deal was nearly sealed.
However, in a surprising twist, NiKo opted to extend his tenure with G2, the organization he has called home since November 2020.
I stay.
— NiKo (@G2NiKo) November 6, 2023
G2’s General Manager, Petar “peca” Marković, expressed his satisfaction with the outcome.
“Happy to put an end to all the rumours, gossip, and speculations with the final verdict—Niko is here to stay at G2,” he said.
“As previously mentioned, we are of the firm opinion that he plays an incredibly unique role in our team that would be hard to replace, and we’re thrilled to announce that we’ve reached an agreement for him to remain with our team.”
This decision dealt a significant blow to Falcons, who had hoped to secure NiKo as the cornerstone of their revamped squad.
Falcons had already made strategic moves, appointing Danny “zonic” Sørensen as their head coach and reportedly reaching agreements with Emil “Magisk” Reif and Marco “Snappi” Pfeiffer.
The future of G2’s line-up remains a point of intense speculation during the roster mania period, as many teams seek to strengthen their rosters in preparation for the PGL Copenhagen Major.
Notably, peca has stated that G2 will not entertain offers for Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov, who was also a high-priority target for Falcons.
In the aftermath of NiKo’s decision, it has been reported that Falcons have set their sights on Alvaro “SunPayus” Garcia of ENCE and Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov, a benched player from Cloud9.
G2 is gearing up for the BLAST Premier World Final, which is their final event of the year, and they aim to defend the title they won in 2022.
Their recent top-four finish at IEM Sydney 2023 has kept the Counter-Strike community eager to see what successes lie ahead for the team.
NiKo’s loyalty to G2, despite a lucrative offer from Falcons, underscores his pivotal role in the organization’s past triumphs, which include notable victories at the BLAST Premier World Final in December 2022, IEM Katowice in February 2023, and IEM Cologne in August 2023.
With this decision, G2 can now concentrate on their preparations for upcoming CS2 tournaments.
