Have G2 lost their identity without Mixwell?

Mixwell has officially announced he has been benched from G2 Esports. In a tweet, Mixwell also revealed he had been given permission to search for options and other offers. This suggests G2 Esports will not be looking to bring Mixwell back into their starting lineup. Given Mixwell is also looking for offers, it is highly likely Mixwell is looking to continue as a player with another team.

However, given the competitive season is only two weeks away, it is unlikely Mixwell will receive any major starting offers until the conclusion of the 2022 VCT EMEA Stage 1 Challengers.

Image Credits | Dexerto

Keloqz Joining as a Replacement

While unofficial, rumors circulated that Keloqz would be replacing Mixwell following the team failing to qualify for the 2022 EMEA VCT Stage 1 Challengers in the first closed qualifier. This had been based on earlier sightings G2 had been practicing with Keloqz instead of Mixwell in their games. However, in general, this announcement has taken the G2 community largely by surprise. Especially considering the initial G2 Esports Valorant squad had been built around Mixwell, who had been their first player to be signed. At that time, Mixwell had been best known in competitive counter strike for his time with Optic Gaming, along with his short spiel with G2 Esports. Given his prominence in counterstrike and past relationship with G2 Esports, the organization gave Mixwell a huge say in building the team as a founding member. While the team had unfortunately missed out to compete in Valorant Champions due to being knocked out in the semi-finals of the 2021 VCT EMEA Last Chance Qualifier, G2 Esports have already had a large share of success credited to Mixwell.

The Impact on the Team Culture

The latest announcement by G2 Esports will undoubtably impact the culture and playstyle of the team, with the departure of Mixwell meaning the loss of a founding member and a strong in-game leader. This is especially so considering the team’s two starting players picked up in mid 2021, Nukkye & AvovA, had been a duo Mixwell knew well from his Counter Strike days. Additionally, Mixwell had been vocal in his mentorship of Keloqz, the rookie Valorant star now replacing him on the starting roster. With Mixwell no longer in the picture, while the team’s short-term performance may rise due to Keloqz’s raw skill, their long-term development is up in the air. As Keloqz previously stated, “mixwell, for me, is the best player. I’m really happy to play with him”.

Rumors have surfaced that Mixwell has already received offers, one of which includes an invitation from team KOI. However, this offer would force Mixwell to compete in the new Valorant esports Spanish scene, the 2022 VLR Spain Rising Stage 1. While Mixwell would be given the opportunity to return to the bigger EMEA and hopefully global stage, winning the VLR Spain would be a tough task with a new team.