VALORANT: Petra re-joins G2 Gozen in the VCT Game Changers EMEA, Nelo benched

G2 Gozen continues its string of roster changes in 2025. After benching Petra "Petra" Stoker earlier this year, the German organization has made a U-turn, bringing back their 2022 world champion into the starting lineup. Petra was a key part of the roster that made history by winning the first-ever VALORANT Game Changers Championship in 2022. Her journey with G2 began in 2021 and lasted over four years before she was moved to the inactive roster on April 28. She was replaced for Stage 2 by Franco-Chinese Duelist Esllene "Akita" Xu.

However, the team's results did not improve and even worsened. After a third-place finish in Stage 1, G2 fell to fourth in Stage 2—matching their worst result ever in a Game Changers EMEA event (Stage 3, 2023). In an effort to course-correct and keep their Championship 2025 hopes alive, G2 have now placed on the inactive roster the other French player of the team, Mathilde "Nelo" Beltoise, to make room for Petra’s return.

With Petra back in the lineup, G2 is hoping to regain some stability after a turbulent year of changes. At the start of the season, the team opted to go without a dedicated Duelist, forcing several players into roleswaps. As the results fell short of expectations, this gamble was a mistake, as manager Thibault “Thibalt” Pulcini admitted on a X post.

To fix the issues, G2 are reverting their players to their original roles. Petra will take back her spot as Initiator, Amy “amy” Lai returns to the Sentinel role, and Michaela “mimi” Lintrup will now play as the Flex Player of the roster. Meanwhile, Aleyna “Vania” Keskin and Akita will remain as Smoker and Duelist, respectively. mimi, the team’s other 2022 Championship winner, will continue to serve as the In-Game Leader for Stage 3.