Split two of the HCS Pro Series in Halo Infinite is right around the corner, and while rostermania may not have swept the scene following the last Major in Kansas City, G2 Esports is still making moves to try and fight its way up the rankings.
Daniel “OGRE1” Ryan, half of the dominant “OGRE Twins” sibling duo that was a staple of early Halo esports, is joining G2’s Halo roster as their new team manager, the organization announced today.
“We are beyond excited to bring on one of the most legendary competitors in esports history,” the announcement post reads. “The current G2 Halo roster is currently built around some of the most well known Halo players in recent history composed of the best modern-day talent we could hope to find, but it’s time for us to really dig into the history of Halo esports and revive a beast that still has more to prove.”
This comes as both an encouraging reaffirmation of G2’s intentions in Halo Infinite and an acknowledgement that the team has struggled to make an impact so far. While the roster secured a top-six finish at HCS Anaheim in February, their tournament record at the Major events has remained a consistent and disappointing top-12 placement at both events. No roster changes have been announced, but the acquisition of a Halo veteran like OGRE1 to manage the team suggests that G2 believes it can extract more from its current squad of players.
When it comes to veteran experience, OGRE1 is near untouchable. G2 lists his impressive portfolio of 32 LAN wins and a recorded streak of 40 consecutive top-two finishes in the announcement. OGRE1 and his brother Tom “OGRE2” Ryan partnered throughout what many still consider to be Halo‘s greatest competitive dynasty that lasted through Halo CE and Halo 2. He retired in 2009 but occasionally returned to competition under the Australian organization Team Immunity after moving there from North America, even as recently as this year in the region’s HCS Pro Series.
G2 hopes that OGRE1’s knowledge of both the game and the esports scene that it has cultivated will allow them “to reach new levels of success.” As OGRE1 says in the announcement video: “I’m right where I belong.”
