G2 Nexa explains decision to bench kennyS: “It was something he needed”

G2 Esports captain Nemanja ‘nexa’ Isaković explained how the decision to bench CSGO legend Kenny ‘kennyS’ Schrub was good for both parties, and why he believes the French AWPer will “come back stronger than ever” soon.

Nexa and his G2 men will soon face the BLAST Premier: Spring Showdown 2021 gauntlet in hopes to make it to the main stage in June. With the likes of Team Liquid and Astralis on their side of the bracket, it would seem like the wrong time to off-load proven talent. G2 shocked fans when they benched the AWP legend from their CSGO lineup. But Nexa described to Dexerto how this move was “best for both the team and for Kenny” as they’re likely heading their separate ways.

KennyS needed a ‘mental reset’

Nexa and kennyS became good friends since the Serbian enlisted in the G2 Army back in 2019. It was a hard decision to move Kenny out of the team, but something that Nexa said was needed. “We’ve been good friends and have been playing together for over a year,” Nexa explained. “But I think this decision, it had to come it was something he needed as well, time off, time for himself to reset his mind.”

• Read more: kennyS denies reports of Valorant switch after G2 CSGO benching

Kenny was always known as an incredibly aggressive, creative AWPer. But the 2020 campaign started to show signs of wear for the Frenchman and bad results were piling for the team. Since G2 still hadn’t figured out how they wanted to play with superstar Nikola ‘NiKo’ Kovač and with big events on the horizon, a change had to be made. That’s when they reintroduced Audric ‘JaCkz’ Jug into the active lineup at the expense of Kenny’s starting role.

It was a disheartening sign to see a longtime fixture of CS relegated to the bench. But this was something that Nexa believes was a necessary step, not only for G2, but for Kenny’s outlook. “I’m sure [kennyS will] come back stronger than ever after this,” Nexa told Dexerto. “I’m not just saying that, I know he really needed a mental reset. I also think our team needed something fresh as well to refresh ourselves.”

What’s next for kennyS and G2?

Nexa fully expects Kenny to return to form. While he thinks Kenny’s buyout might be a bit too high for a lot of teams at the moment, he sees the 25-year-old being a strong addition for one of the new player-led lineups that have been forming in CSGO. As for G2, they’re hoping they can get back to their winning ways, starting with the BLAST Premier: Spring Showdown.

“I think maybe we’ve found the winning combination,” Nexa said, excited that G2 may have “solved the puzzle” for how to make the talent on the team shine. “I think we’re going to stick with what we have for quite some time.” G2 Esports starts their BLAST Showdown campaign against Endpoint on April 13. If they win, they’ll await the winner of Astralis vs OG Esports on April 16. Dexerto’s Matt Porter contributed to this report.