Akin to a timeless dynasty, the Samurais once again stand atop Europe after their latest victory against Movistar KOI on enemy territory in the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) Summer Finals in Madrid. Crowned once more, G2 Esports remain far from finished, with Worlds 2025 now beckoning. In an exclusive interview, midlaner Rasmus "Caps" Borregaard Winther sat down with Sheep Esports to discuss reclaiming his throne, the level of competition in Europe, and the challenges awaiting them in Beijing.

It must feel good to finally lift your first trophy of 2025, right? Did you expect to beat MKOI 3-0 in front of a Spanish crowd?

Rasmus "Caps" Borregaard Winther: "Yeah, it feels amazing. Only the last one counts, right? Jokes aside, it's been wild to see how many MKOI fans there are around Madrid. We did a fan meet yesterday where we got to meet a bunch of people, and there were a lot of MKOI fans, but most people were also wishing us the best and a lot of luck, so I really appreciate that. As for the games themselves, game one and two were definitely a bit shaky. Me dying in the first game definitely didn’t help, and in game two, we ended up getting aced as well. There were some scary moments where maybe they could have taken more advantage, but they didn’t, and I’m just so happy we managed to turn it around.

How do you feel about G2's current power level? Do you think this split finally shows the G2 we were expecting?

Caps: Yeah, we stepped up big time in summer, and this whole split we've been leveling up steadily. We still have a long way to go if we want to beat the best LPL and LCK teams. If we can maintain the same level of improvement as we had from MSI to EWC and through the summer split, we can definitely beat them. But we will need to put in the effort and step up, because they are still very, very strong.

You've mentioned after Winter how bittersweet seeing Karmine Corp lift the trophy was. Did lifting this trophy feel any different from the previous ones?

Caps: This one definitely feels very good because of how difficult it was for us to achieve. This year has been very tough, and we didn’t always click. It really took a lot of work and sacrifice from everyone to come together, and it was enough to win the LEC. I’m super happy about that, and now I’m excited to see how far we can go at Worlds.

What can we expect from G2 at Worlds?

Caps: I’m excited to see that for myself as well. We’ve leveled up a lot since MSI and even EWC, and we’ve learned a lot since then. But it’s always a question of how much our opponents have learned and improved, because we play against many of the same teams. There’s always T1, BLG, and Gen.G, and nowadays FlyQuest as well. I definitely want to take down FlyQuest—that’s our first boss on the list—and from there we want to experience the "T1 gauntlet", improving game by game, series by series. By the end of Worlds, I hope we'll be the strongest team.

Do you feel G2 is just far ahead of Europe, or is the team now ready to compete on the international stage against LCK and LPL teams?

Caps: I have a hard time saying we are ready for the international stage because of how poor our performance was last time. But we have leveled up a lot in summer. Going to Worlds and other international tournaments, it’s not just about the level you come in with or what you get from bootcamp—it’s about facing the best teams in the world. Sometimes they learn from you, especially when the meta can shift a lot. If we can keep up the same kind of improvement we’ve shown so far in summer, I’m definitely confident that we can take down anyone. But we still have a way to go before we can do that.

How do you feel about the level of the rest of Europe right now?

Caps: I would say that other teams are kind of in the same boat as us. They can definitely compete, but they will also need to step up a lot—even more than us. I don’t have too much faith in them because it’s a very difficult challenge—even for us it will be very difficult. I have more confidence in myself and my teammates because we have more agency; it’s up to us to perform. For other teams, it depends on them—how much work they put in, whether they find the right meta, and how they position themselves in the game. Worlds games can get very stressful and very bloody, so making sure you use the right spell at the right time can be a game-changer.

You’ve always been known for flashy plays and solo kills, but recently it seems you’ve taken a more supportive role in some games to help rookies like Rudy "SkewMond" Semaan shine. How do you feel about this change in your playstyle?

Caps: Yeah, I think it was a big shake-up this year. Changing two players meant that many lessons from last year didn’t fully apply, because we had new players with new ideas that we needed to adapt to. This year was particularly tough for us to connect. Even though we got second in spring and winter, it often felt like we weren’t really playing together. We had very different ideas in the games.

I think now we’re definitely improving, though we still have a way to go, which is nice because it means there’s more to improve on. Part of that improvement is about cleaning up and making sure I can help everyone else on the team. It also has to do with the meta. Compared to last summer, when I played a lot of AD carries in mid lane, the playstyle now is different.

How do you feel G2 has grown mentally this year, especially after a difficult winter split, and what did you personally do to help the team overcome those challenges?

Caps: A lot of it has been about being grateful for what we have and finding what actually makes us a strong team. When we perform well, what is the recipe for that? A big thing for us going into summer was just having more fun. We could be very serious in spring and winter, which sometimes made us a bit scared in games. This summer, honestly, in every game we’ve focused on having fun, being aggressive, and letting the results take care of themselves.

Sergen "BrokenBlade" Çelik recently told us he couldn’t yet say if 2025 G2 is better than the 2024 roster because the results weren’t there yet. How do you feel about the current level of 2025 G2 compared to last year? Do you think this team has surpassed the old roster?

Caps: I probably wouldn’t say we’ve exceeded it because, as I said before, we were very much on the same page last year and had some solid performances. The difference this year is that we might have a higher ceiling. We’ve connected more and are more on the same page, but there’s still a long way to go. There’s room for improvement, which gives us space to keep getting better. We’ll need that before Worlds to showcase a G2 that is even stronger than last year. But we will definitely make it out of Swiss this year.

What is the main thing you want to focus on in the next few weeks to be ready for Worlds?

Caps: For me, the most important thing will probably be the meta. There was a patch recently, and another one is coming before Worlds, so I need to make sure I pick up whichever midlaners are strong on the Worlds patch. The other thing is keeping up our good habits. We developed a lot of good habits during the summer split, and going into Worlds it’s easy to drop them against stronger opponents. We just need to push through and keep reminding ourselves what makes us a good team.

Is there a final message you want to share with G2 fans before heading to China?

Caps: I want to say a big thank you to all the people who support us. It’s been crazy in Madrid to have so many people cheering for us, and online as well. It’s always wild to feel your support, so thank you so much. I hope to see some of you in China as well. It’s a bit of a journey, but I really appreciate it. We can be hyped about China—it will be worth the trip."