Maximilian “Demon1” Mazanov, the big winner of the 2023 Valorant Champions, recently shared some interesting news. In an interview on the Plat Chat podcast, he said he was almost signed by G2 Esports for the 2026 season. However, things outside of the game stopped the deal from happening.

G2 Esports is known as the strongest team in the Americas region. At the end of the 2025 season, they decided to bench Jonah “JonahP” Pulice. After this announcement, many people thought Demon1 would be the one to take his place. He was the top candidate to join the team. But in the end, G2 chose a different path. They signed Andrej “babybay” Francisty, a player who had already been with the team before.

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Demon1 Speaks Out About G2 Situation

There were many rumors about what happened. Finally, Demon1 appeared on the Plat Chat podcast to clear things up. He confirmed that the rumors were true. He really did try out for G2 Esports and was a serious contender for the open spot.

According to Demon1, the tryout sessions went very well. He even said that he played better than babybay during those practice matches. However, the move did not go through because of contract problems. He explained the situation directly:

“As far as losing out to other players like babybay, I never lost the spot,” he said. “The rumor is out there that I did trial for G2 – yes, but I didn’t lose out to babybay because he’s better than me – he’s not. I did not get the spot due to contractual issues with Leviatán. So, stop spreading rumors – your answer is right there.”

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Demon1’s answer shows just how close he was to joining G2. This makes the situation one of the biggest “what if” stories of the off-season.

Would Demon1 Have Been a Good Fit for G2?

If the transfer had happened, the big question would be simple: Would Demon1 have fit well on the G2 roster?

In the last few months, babybay has been playing different roles. He uses Sentinel and Controller agents, and he likes playing Chamber. Demon1 also loves playing Chamber. He has a history of playing Controller agents for Evil Geniuses and Leviatán.

If Demon1 had joined the team, he would have reunited with his old teammate Alexander “jawgemo” Mor. Together, they won the VCT Champions 2023 while playing for Evil Geniuses. They already know how to play together at the highest level. They have a history of using two Duelist agents at the same time. This could have allowed G2 to use more aggressive team setups.

However, Demon1 also mentioned in the interview that his dream role is to do whatever he wants on a team. He does not like being told what to do. This could have caused problems on G2. He would have been the newest member joining a team that already has a set structure and system.

The Champion Still Plays at a High Level

Currently, Demon1 is playing as a temporary replacement for Cloud9. Francis “OXY” Hoang had to step away from the team for personal reasons. Demon1 took the opportunity and made the most of it. He helped Cloud9 get their first two wins of the season. He posted ratings of 1.13 and 1.33. These results show that his skills and confidence are still very strong.

Fans are hoping that he will find a permanent team soon. They want to see him get the chance to show what he can do again.