Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač is expected to miss the upcoming PGL Astana Major 2025 due to visa issues. According to an announcement on the team’s official X page, he will temporarily be replaced by G2’s head coach — Wiktor “TaZ” Wojtas.
TaZ to step in for huNter- due to visa issues
G2 have encountered problems with visa documentation for huNter- just ahead of one of the year’s most important tournaments — PGL in Astana. Due to delays in the visa process, Nemanja is unlikely to join the team in time for the event in Kazakhstan.
The post by the organization on their X page reads:
“Due to the competition being too easy (VISA issues), huNter will not be travelling to PGL Astana until it’s resolved. We will be playing with TaZ as our stand-in for the starting matches.”
As a result, G2’s head coach — the legendary Polish player TaZ — will take his place in the starting five for the tournament. While Wojtas brings a wealth of experience, his return to active play raises concerns about G2’s overall strength going into such a high-stakes event.
READ MORE: G2 CEO on the Future: Roster and Management May Change After Austin
Historical cases where coaches replaced players
MIBR — BLAST Premier Fall 2020
- Replacement: meyern → zews (coach)
- Reason: MIBR lost several players due to internal conflicts and scandals.
- Result: The team performed very poorly, suffering heavy defeats. Coach Wilton “zews” Prado had to step in but couldn’t help reverse their fortunes.
NiP — Flashpoint 3 (2021)
- Replacement: dev1ce was unavailable for a match
- Coach: Björn “THREAT” Pers
- Result: NiP lost the match. Despite THREAT’s past experience, his lack of recent play showed and the team underperformed.
Heroic — ESL One Cologne 2020 (Online)
- Replacement: niko → HUNDEN (coach)
- Reason: A player was unavailable for select matches.
- Result: Heroic delivered a decent online showing, but HUNDEN was clearly the weak link at the Tier-1 level.
ENCE — Elisa Invitational 2021
- Replacement: one player missed a match due to COVID-19
- Coach: sAw
- Result: ENCE managed to win a few maps but lost the overall series. Despite being a former player, sAw wasn’t at the level needed for a top-tier replacement.
These examples show that fielding a coach is a last resort — often forced by unexpected situations. Most of the time, it negatively impacts a team’s chances, as coaches usually lack the form and tempo needed for top-level competition.
G2’s strength in doubt: can the team hold on without its star core?
The loss of huNter- is yet another major blow for G2, who have already parted ways with their star players NiKo and m0NESY. These departures have significantly weakened the team, and now, with the coach potentially stepping into the lineup, G2’s competitiveness is under serious question. Given the level of competition at PGL Astana 2025, playing without a full-strength roster could drastically reduce G2’s chances of making a deep run.
