G2 Esports won the Counter-Strike 2 trophy on June 2, making it a memorable event for the entire team. However, this victory was especially meaningful for G2’s head coach, TaZ. While this was his first trophy as a coach for the European powerhouses, it also added to his list of Intel Extreme Masters victories. TaZ created history by winning the first IEM in 2007, which was held in Counter-Strike 1.6. TaZ is the only individual in CS history to have won both the first and 100th IEM, which is a pretty impressive accomplishment.
The first IEM event was held in Hannover in March 2007, and TaZ was a member of the famed Golden Five squad. From 2006 to 2008, this team dominated the scene, with stars such as NEO and Kuben. TaZ and his Golden Five colleagues competed as Team Pentagram in the tournament’s debut edition.
The competition at the event was tough, with top-tier teams competing for the prized trophy. Fnatic, which includes legends like cArn and f0rest, as well as teams like mousesports and SK Gaming, were all in the race. However, TaZ and Pentagram emerged victorious, defeating SK Gaming in the grand final and taking home the lion’s portion of the 92,000 euro prize pool.
G2 Esports won $100,000 of the $250,000 prize pool in their most recent victory in Dallas. What makes their success even more astounding is that they used Stewie2K as a stand-in. Stewie2K, a North American player, returned to Dallas having previously won a title with Team Liquid. He was brought in by the organization after HooXi, G2’s in-game captain, was unable to attend the event due to his sister’s wedding.
Overall, G2 Esports’ success at IEM Dallas 2024 demonstrates their remarkable talents and capacity to overcome adversities. TaZ’s historic achievement as both the first and 100th IEM champion demonstrates his skill and commitment to the game over the years.