G2 vs. Astralis at EWC 2026:Two Fallen Giants,Barely Recognizable
G2 without NiKo and m0NESY. Astralis without device and Magisk. Two of Counter-Strike's most decorated organizations meet in the Round of 16 as almost entirely different teams than the ones that made them famous.
G2 won 2-1
Astralis took Ancient 13-6, but G2 answered on their own pick, Dust2 (13-6), and closed it out on Inferno (13-7).
G2 and Astralis meet in the Round of 16 at the Esports World Cup 2026 on August 19. Both organizations have won some of the biggest trophies in the sport's history. Neither roster taking the stage here bears much resemblance to the ones that won them.
They've already met once this year, in April — and it wasn't close.
Match
G2 vs. Astralis
Tournament
Esports World Cup 2026Stage
Round of 16
Date
August 19, 2026
Time
16:00 CEST
Format
Best of 3
Player names link to their HLTV.org profiles.
What's Left of the Old Names
G2's current five was built around HeavyGod and MATYS as the core of a post-NiKo, post-m0NESY project, with huNter- the one remaining tie to the organization's more decorated past. That project hasn't stood still, either: after a quarter-final exit to Spirit at the IEM Cologne Major, G2 benched AWPer SunPayus and signed r1nkle from Ninjas in Pyjamas on June 25.
The results since have been inconsistent — a playoff run at IEM Krakow that included wins over The MongolZ and FUT Esports, alongside multiple 5th-place finishes at PGL Astana, BLAST Rivals Spring, and Cologne itself. HeavyGod has been the constant: a 1.44 rating in recent matches makes him G2's clearest current strength.
Astralis Without Its Anchor
Astralis' rebuild goes deeper. Nicolai "device" Reedtz and Emil "Magisk" Reif — the last remaining links to the organization's CS:GO dynasty years — departed on December 28, 2025. Device joined 100 Thieves, reuniting with rain and former Astralis teammate gla1ve. Astralis responded by saying they'd pursue an "international outlook" rather than restock from the same pool of Danish talent that built the org in the first place.
What's left is HooXi, Staehr, jabbi, phzy and ryu — a roster that had to fight through Astralis' own lower bracket to reach these playoffs at all. They beat MIBR in their opener, lost 0-2 to Falcons, then needed a 2-1 win over NiP — Staehr rating 1.51, anchored by a 13-3 opening map on Nuke — to survive.
They've Already Played This Year
The two sides' only meeting in 2026 came at BLAST Rivals Spring in April, and G2 won it comfortably — 13-5 on Dust2, 13-9 on Overpass. Both rosters have shifted some since then, but the result is the closest thing either team has to a data point on the other.
Two Names, Neither Team From the Posters
Whoever wins the Round of 16 tie will be doing it under a badge that used to mean something very specific in Counter-Strike — a G2 with NiKo and m0NESY, an Astralis with device and Magisk. Neither of those teams exists anymore. What's left is two organizations mid-rebuild, one of which has already beaten the other once this year.
More EWC 2026 Coverage
See how this result fits into the rest of the Round of 16.
