CS:GO: G2 Reportedly Targeting NiKo
| Tags: Call of Duty
| Author Caroline Rutledge
Cousins NiKo and huNter- could play together under the G2 banner very soon.
G2 Esports is looking to add FaZe Clan star Nikola “NiKo” Kovač to its Counter-Strike ranks, according to reports from 1pv and HLTV. This move would see the Bosnian superstar team up with his cousin, Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač, under the G2 name. NiKo has represented FaZe Clan since 2017, winning multiple championships with the team.
FaZe Era
Previously making his name as the main star of mousesports, young prodigy NiKo joined FaZe Clan in early 2017. FaZe made an impressive run to the IEM Katowice 2017 Grand Final in NiKo’s first appearance with the organization. After further roster changes, FaZe won ESL One New York 2017, Eleague Premier 2017, and the ECS Season 4 Finals that same year.
FaZe continued to reach high placings at big tournaments, though struggled to maintain their peak form in the years that followed. NiKo and Norwegian rifler Håvard “rain” Nygaard are the only remaining members from the 2017 FaZe roster. Recent results for the squad include third-place finishes at DreamHack Masters Spring Europe and BLAST Premier Spring European Finals, as well as a 9-12th place finish in ESL One Cologne 2020 Europe.
A G2 Move
G2 Esports has managed to climb back up the CS:GO ranks since shifting to an international roster, having added former CR4ZY members huNter- and Nemanja “nexa” Isaković nearly one year ago. Since their additions, G2 has won the Champions Cup Finals and placed second in IEM Katowice 2020. The team most recently reached the semi-finals of ESL One Cologne Europe, narrowly losing a Finals spot to eventual champions Heroic.
Should G2 go forward with roster changes, it appears that 27-year-old François “AmaNEk” Delaunay could be the one removed to make way for NiKo. AmaNEk has played under the G2 name since March of 2019, reaching the Grand Finals of the ESL Pro League Season 9 Finals and IEM Katowice 2020 with the squad.
As NiKo is an extremely high profile player, his acquisition reportedly has the potential to be “one of the most expensive transfers in the history of the game.” The 1pv report also states that the deal could be completed by the end of the year.
Caroline is an esports journalist focusing on CS:GO. Starting out as a casual CS:GO fan, her interest quickly turned into a passion as she spent years studying the game. She has put that knowledge to use as a journalist, now writing about professional CS:GO for multiple websites including TheGamer.