r1nkle Joins G2 as the New AWPer

G2 have completed the signing of r1nkle from NiP. The 21-year-old Ukrainian takes the AWP spot left by sunpayus, who was benched earlier today.

r1nkle is officially a G2 player. sunpayus has been benched after one year on the team.

r1nkle was at NiP after being signed from B8 back in April 2024. His 2026 has been rough, averaging a 1.02 rating against top-50 opposition. G2 looked at that and still picked him over their own academy option, kl1m, who stays on loan at MIBR. That tells you something about what they see in the ceiling.

The new G2 roster: huNter-, MATYS, HeavyGod, NertZ, r1nkle. Coach sAw. They debut at BLAST Bounty Season 2 on July 21.

On sunpayus

One year at G2. A BLAST Open London title. And some genuinely bright moments at IEM Cologne, where he made it all the way to the quarter-finals before Spirit ended their run. He was not the problem. The timing just was not on his side.

Can r1nkle deliver?

Honestly, the numbers from early 2026 are not pretty. While sunpayus was making noise in Cologne, r1nkle was going through one of the darker stretches of his career. But I have seen what this kid can do when things click. He has the mechanics, the reads, and the age to grow into something special. G2 is a massive step up in pressure. If it unlocks him rather than buries him, this could end up being a great signing.

He is 21. The potential is real. Now he just has to show it.