There was much fanfare leading up to Counter-Strike 2<\/em>‘s return to U.S. shores at IEM Dallas, but it’s safe to say all eyes were on G2 Esports and stand-in Stewie2K on opening day. Unfortunately, results didn’t pan out for the American Major winner in his return to tier one CS<\/em>.<\/p>
With in-game leader HooXi ruled out<\/a> due to a commitment at home\u2014his sister’s wedding\u2014superstar NiKo took the captaincy armband while Stewie slotted into HooXi’s roles on day one of IEM Dallas<\/a>, with G2 overcoming a fast-finishing Falcons 13-10 to book a slot in the upper bracket qualifier. There, G2’s day took a turn, however, as the squad was brought back to reality by ZywOo and Vitality, who demolished Stewie and co. in a swift 2-0.<\/p>
Stewie did his best to slot into the Counter-Strike <\/em>squad; he’s had minimal practice with the team given his late addition as a roster stand-in<\/a>, and only just returned to competing in CS2<\/em> as a whole after an extended stint as a VALORANT<\/em> player and streamer. His earlier dabbling into pro CS2<\/em> came with the likes of Mythic and a stint with Brazilian squad Legacy\u2014this time, however, it’s against the big boys in LAN play.<\/p>