G2 Bench SunPayus, Sign r1nkle as New AWPer

<p>G2 Esports kicked off Summer 2026 Rostermania with one of the loudest moves of the window. On June 25, the organization officially benched Spanish AWPer Alvaro 'SunPayus' Garcia and signed Ukrainian sniper Artem 'r1nkle' Moroz from Ninjas in Pyjamas.</p><h3>The Move</h3><p>SunPayus' one-year tenure ended on the back of G2's quarterfinal loss to Spirit at IEM Cologne 2026. Multiple sources, including Sheep Esports and Dust2, reported the decision was internally taken within days of the Cologne exit. r1nkle joins from NiP, where he had been the primary AWPer since April 2024 after transferring from B8.</p><h3>Statistical Question Marks</h3><p>The move divided the Counter-Strike community. r1nkle averaged a 1.02 rating against top-50 opposition through the first half of 2026 - a decline from his 2024 numbers with NiP. SunPayus, by contrast, posted stronger overall stats at G2 in 2026 but was reportedly seen internally as inconsistent under playoff pressure.</p><h3>What G2 Are Betting On</h3><p>r1nkle's ceiling is what G2 are chasing. At his best in 2024, he was one of the most reliable young AWPers in Europe. Analyst Tedd, writing for Skin.Club Community, called Summer 2026 'the AWP gamble season' after G2, FaZe, and HEROIC all changed their snipers within a two-week window.</p><h3>First Appearance</h3><p>r1nkle is expected to make his G2 debut at BLAST Bounty Summer 2026, which begins its online phase on July 21. The pressure will be immediate - G2 are also entering the second half of 2026 in the middle of the HLTV top ten and facing a stacked EWC in August. If r1nkle underperforms early, questions about the decision will only intensify.</p>

Sources

• https://www.hltv.org/news/45004/g2-complete-r1nkle-signing...
• https://www.hltv.org/news/45002/g2-bench-sunpayus...
• https://www.dust2.us/news/75391/g2-sign-r1nkle-to-replace-sunpayus...