Artem “r1nkle” Moroz has said that he is enjoying life with G2, who offered him a way back into activity in June after two months on Ninjas in Pyjamas’s bench.
The Ukrainian AWPer has shown flashes of his best form at EWC, his first LAN event with the team. On Wednesday, he averaged a series-high 1.31 rating as G2 beat Astralis in three maps to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.
“I’m very happy to play on this team and on the stage,” he told HLTV after the match. “G2 have a lot of really good fans. I’m enjoying it. Life is good.
“When the teams walked out, I could feel the people were supporting us a lot. It’s amazing. You can’t describe this feeling. It’s so good. I’m just happy for this opportunity and for these moments.
“I’m feeling a lot better than before because G2 have a lot of stuff as a team that I had to learn. It’s still like this, but right now I’m just more comfortable because some time has passed. I’m getting into it. I’m not going to say I’m 100% right now. There is a lot of work to do.”
r1nkle’s benching came after a poor run of form at the start of 2026, during which he averaged a 1.02 rating against top-50 opposition.
When asked about why things didn’t work out on Ninjas in Pyjamas, r1nkle put his individual struggles down to a mentality issue.
“I think I didn’t have the right mentality over there,” he explained. “I think what happened happened for [the better]. My mentality has become a lot stronger, and I have been working much harder.”
Given his woeful form towards the end of his NIP spell, was he surprised to get an offer from a rung above?
“It was for sure a surprise,” he said. “You can’t just expect these things to happen, like a tier-1 team coming to you after you were benched.
“I don’t know. I just took it as, ‘If I got it, I deserved it. ‘ I just worked hard when I got benched, so I think it’s all good. Let’s work hard.”
r1nkle took over the AWP from Álvaro “SunPayus” García as the team sought more aggression while also removing one of its main voices inside the server, with head coach Eetu “sAw” Saha saying that he expects the Ukrainian to become a more “complete player” than the Spaniard with time.
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sAw: “We needed someone more aggressive”
“The things huNter- and sAw expect from me are clear,” r1nkle said. “They want a more aggressive player, a more active player. And I am this player when I have the right mentality, and I have it right now. In a way, nothing can stop me right now. That’s my feeling.”
The victory over Astralis will put G2 on a collision course with the winner of FURIA and Aurora in the quarter-finals. r1nkle said he had no preference for a next opponent. He is simply enjoying each moment.
“Just simple goals,” he said about his targets for the season. “To work hard and not really think about other people’s opinions.
“Just work hard, stay positive, enjoy playing, enjoy life, keep improving. That’s it.”
