HeavyGod: "We know we can be really strong"

"We want to get as far as we can, and we want to win this event.," the Israeli player said after the match.

G2 punched their ticket to the playoff stages of BLAST Open Lisbon in style with a 2-0 victory over The MongolZ, taking revenge for the ESL Pro League defeat earlier in the month.

The win is also expected to propel G2 into the top six in the VRS, meaning that they would get an invite to Stage 3 of the Major at Falcons' expense.

Read more Follow the race to the Major as it unfolds

Nikita "⁠HeavyGod⁠" Martynenko played an important role in G2's run in Copenhagen with a 1.23 rating, helping to make up for the drop-off from Mario "⁠malbsMd⁠" Samayoa, who admitted after the match that he has had "a really rough time" of late.

"I think everyone, from team members and staff, is trying to reduce the pressure so he doesn't feel it," HeavyGod said of his teammate. "Because he doesn't need to. He needs to play his own game and play to his strengths."

G2 are on a collision course with MOUZ in the quarter-finals, with the winner of that match slated to face Eternal Fire for a spot in the final. This will be HeavyGod's only second time playing in front of a crowd in a big event after the Shanghai Major. "I just want to play my game, enjoy it, and I want to win," he said.

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Congratulations, G2 is the last team to make it to the playoffs. After losing to The MongolZ in EPL, how does it feel to get revenge in such an important game?

We were well prepared for this game. We know our capability, and we know that we can be really strong. We all believed and we got what we wanted.

With this win, you're also likely to get an invite to Stage 3 of the Major. That's a nice bonus.

Yeah, obviously. It's Legends for me. If we are there, then it will be my first time. The team did it together, and I'm happy.

I wanted to ask about your performance on Ancient. You had a lot of good rounds, a 1v2 to close it out and you almost won a 1v4. Would you say it was one of your most impactful performances since you've been with G2?

I haven't looked at stats, I haven't looked at anything. I don't really care. I think I have stepped up a bit more these last days, with comms and everything; maybe I got a little bit more confidence. I don't want to jinx it, but I'll try my best every time. I will keep working hard, keep improving, and I'll give everything I need to give for my team to be better.

malbsMd stepped up on this last map. In an interview on the broadcast earlier in the tournament, he mentioned that he was having some issues getting his confidence back. What can you say about the work the team is putting in to take some of the pressure off his shoulders and help him get his form back?

I think everyone, from team members and staff, is trying to reduce the pressure so he doesn't feel it. Because he doesn't need to. He needs to play his own game and play to his strengths. We all try to say it to him every time. It's also a new role for him, so maybe it's taking a bit longer for him to adapt, but I think he's doing a great job and I know he will be better and better with each event and each game. For me, he's doing it well. He just wants to improve it every time.

You're now through to the playoffs. This will be your second time playing in front of a crowd in a big event. How does it feel?

It feels amazing, right? I also heard that the arena is really nice from my teammates because they have played there. I'm looking forward to it. As you mentioned, one of my first big crowds. I just want to play my game, enjoy it, and I want to win.

Date	Matches
BLAST Open Lisbon 2025
28/03/2025	MOUZ16:30 G2	Match

You're going up against MOUZ in the quarter-finals. You also have Eternal Fire on your side of the bracket. Based on this, what are your expectations for the playoffs?

We want to get as far as we can, and we want to win this event. We'll do our best, and we will try everything we can to make it happen.

Mario 'malbsMd' Samayoa Age: 22 Team: G2 Rating 1.0: 1.08 Maps played: 1039 KPR: 0.76 DPR: 0.70 Falcons #10 Nikola 'NiKo' KovačEmil 'Magisk' ReifRené 'TeSeS' MadsenAbdul 'degster' GasanovDamjan 'kyxsan' Stoilkovski Danny 'zonic' Sørensen G2 #7 Janusz 'Snax' PogorzelskiNemanja 'huNter-' KovačMario 'malbsMd' SamayoaIlya 'm0NESY' OsipovNikita 'HeavyGod' Martynenko Wiktor 'TaZ' Wojtas MOUZ #4 Ludvig 'Brollan' BrolinÁdám 'torzsi' TorzsásLotan 'Spinx' GiladiJimi 'Jimpphat' SaloDorian 'xertioN' Berman Dennis 'sycrone' Nielsen The MongolZ #6 Garidmagnai 'bLitz' ByambasurenSodbayar 'Techno' MunkhboldMunkhbold 'Senzu' AzbayarAyush 'mzinho' BatboldUsukhbayar '910' Banzragch Erdenedalai 'maaRaa' Bayanbat Eternal Fire #5 Engin 'MAJ3R' KüpeliIsmailcan 'XANTARES' DörtkardeşÖzgür 'woxic' EkerAli 'Wicadia' Haydar YalçınSamet 'jottAAA' Köklü Sezgin 'Fabre' Kalaycı Nikita 'HeavyGod' Martynenko Age: 22 Team: G2 Rating 1.0: 1.07 Maps played: 584 KPR: 0.72 DPR: 0.64