NertZ: “When your coach and captain show you [trust], it’s super important because I don’t think it works like this in every team”

G2 endured a few frustrating hiccups en route to Stage 3, but got the job done against BIG to secure their passage into the next round.

The scoreline itself was convincing, especially on Inferno when Guy “⁠NertZ⁠” Iluz posted a 2.69 rating after dominating the B bomb-site. Having permabanned the map on ENCE and HEROIC, it’s a map NertZ used to struggle on but a few tweaks at boot camp has got him firing on all cylinders.

Since he joined mid-season, NertZ tells us that feeling comfortable on every map is still a work in progress.

But his ideas are being listened to, the reunion with Eetu “⁠sAw⁠” Saha and Álvaro “⁠SunPayus⁠” García fits him nicely, and, map by map, he is getting there.

As for Stage 3, his goal is simple: Against tougher opposition, “we need to show that we’re going to play the same as we are playing right now.”

Listen to the interview here

Okay, congrats on getting through. Tell me a bit about that Inferno, because I think it was like the sixth highest major rating of all time or something, so was that some fun to play?

It was very fun, especially to play with MATYS and the AK. I think we were having a rough time on Inferno before. Individually, I would say it was hard for me. But for me, we changed a lot of things. We had bootcamp and we did some things so that I will feel more comfortable. We said what we need to do so that MATYS, also, will feel comfortable, and this is something that I’m happy about. I think it was an important win for us in Inferno.

Because it used to be your permaban for so long as well, right? So is it kind of weird that that’s where you kind of hit this crazy high rating?

I don’t know the rating, but I think like I played well, finally, I would say in this map, I hope I will keep playing like this.

And on the team overall in this stage. Sometimes it’s been a weird thing where even today, where it was convincing scorelines, but sometimes watching you guys, there’s a bit of frustration. Would you agree with that or not?

Like we are being frustrated or just to watch?

Maybe just frustrating in terms of not closing the game out as quick as you might want, maybe.

Yeah, sometimes it can happen. I think it’s normal, but I feel like we have a type of personality. In every team, you have some people showing emotions, but I feel like in this team, they are letting it out. And I feel like it’s also about the other person to accept it. He is, as a player, like this. If he’s moving on, it’s good, all good. For me, this frustration, maybe, that we are showing, it doesn’t mean anything for me at least because if you move on, everything will be good.

Of course. I mean, in the server, if you didn’t have the player cams, it looks great. So can you tell me a bit about what the bootcamp changed? I know you mentioned Inferno, but kind of how you’re adapting to the team, because obviously joining mid-season is hard. Do you feel much more comfortable now?

I feel 100%, I made two more maps comfortable for me that I didn’t take before. And I think the team helped me and I helped them by doing it. And I hope after the season, we will have more maps like this.

And how is the team adapting to kind of having your voice as the main space taker on a lot of these maps? How are you kind of getting your ideas into the team? Do you think that’s working?

I think some of the maps are working. Like every player in the team, the coach is giving me the responsibility and they are giving me the trust that I need to do it. I feel like it’s super important, trust. When your coach and their captain show you that, ‘take the responsibility, bring it in that you like, we will talk about it after,’ I think it’s super important because I don’t think it’s working like this in every team.

And tell me about linking up with sAw again. Do you think he and SunPayus have changed since your last time together? Or is it just going straight back in and kind of muscle memory, basically?

I think they didn’t change at all, like personality-wise. The thing is that when I came, I feel like the meta has been changed. I feel like I was a little bit behind the meta before. And I feel like they are super smart, both of them. And they just did the same for me. Also they know, especially SunPayus, know exactly what I like to do, how I like to play and for me, I really feel comfortable to play around them.

So is it… I feel like the way you’re talking, it’s almost like you’re enjoying the game again? Is that right?

100%, yes.

And okay, so for stage three, I think this win was also important. I saw on X, one of the VRS guys was saying this is really important for the invites next season. So I guess that’s job one ticked off. What’s kind of the next step in terms of expectations?

We didn’t talk about goals, actually. For me, I will say my individual goal is showing good team chemistry. No matter what the situation, we’re going to play against better teams. We need to show that we’re going to play the same as we are playing right now against these teams. And for me, this is the goal. And if I talk about results goals, for me, playoffs, for me, it’s like the least, something that we need to do.