Since joining G2 Esports, CTZN has cemented his place as the best fragger in Europe.
At the beginning of Year 5, he was brought on to EU's traditional powerhouse after a strong year 4 with Natus Vincere, climbing from Challenger League and eventually becoming the MVP of Na'Vi's Pro League Season 10 championship roster.
These achievements earned him a place as an Honourable Mention on the Top Players of Year 4 list, propelling him to the forefront of discussion surrounding future European Stars.
In Year 5, CTZN delivered on his potential.
Joining G2 at the beginning of the year marked the start of the so-called 'Superteam', but CTZN was the only one to immediately deliver results.
Immediately, he ended the stage as Europe's fourth-highest rated player and propelled G2 to a third-place finish. He continued his success at the August Major, with a top-five ranking in four major statistical categories (Rating, +/-, Entry, and KOST).
After a tough season in Stage 2, CTZN would receive his only sub-1.00 rating of the year. However, he would rebound for the EUL Finals, topping the rating charts for his team and leading G2 to their first Tier-1 Championship since the Six Invitational 2019.
Tournament | Rating | K-D (+/-) |
|---|---|---|
EUL 2020 Stage 1 | 1.17 | 82-61 (+21) |
August EU Major | 1.14 | 78-67 (+11) |
EUL 2020 Stage 2 | 0.97 | 66-63 (+3) |
EUL Finals | 1.29 | 46-28 (+18) |
EUL 2021 Stage 1 | 1.29 | 98-58 (+40) |
Six Invitational 2021 | 1.18 | 122-90 (+32) |
Going into 2021, CTZN once again was Europe's highest-rated player, despite his team finishing in fifth place in Stage 1.
Even with Pengu's retirement, G2 seemed to show flashes of potential with Kayak and fans had high hopes for a good showing headed into the Six Invitational.
The event itself, however, was a disaster for G2, with the team losing very winnable games to teams with much worse pedigrees than the storied EU powerhouse.
Nevertheless, CTZN was able to perform, being one of the event's top performers in the group stage, and ending the event with an impressive 1.18 Rating -- the only member of his team with a rating above 1.00 (the largest gap between first and second-highest rated players on any team at the event).
After this disappointing showing, CTZN will have a change of teammates as Hungry and Jonka to replace Kanto and UUNO.
Will he be able to keep up his play with new teammates meshing into the G2 system? If so, CTZN may be primed for another year atop the European leaderboards.
The above is number six in our Top Players Year 5 series. Click here to view all of the awards, the announcement schedule, and their winners. Check back in each day for new awards to be announced!