Ahead of the LEC Summer Finals in Madrid,
G2 Esports have their eyes firmly set on the
LEC trophy. Having qualified in style for their third domestic final this year, the Samurais are still chasing a title in 2025. With the pressure of delivering results weighing on them—not wanting to be the first roster in the club’s history to finish a season without a trophy since 2018—and their fate in their own hands,
Dylan Falco opened up about his team’s preparation following two weeks without matches.
He also discussed
Labros "Labrov" Papoutsakis’ impressive growth during this Summer Split, the potential surprises awaiting their opponents in the final, and the confidence the team has built as they approach their first Worlds together and face this new international challenge.
How does it feel to reach a third final in three splits in a row?
Dylan Falco: "Since I've joined G2, this is our 11th final, so I'm a bit used to being successful. This year though, it's been a bit different. We lost both grand finals, even though we made them. This one feels good because we get a chance to prove we can actually win one this year.
What is G2’s secret to being this consistent?
Dylan Falco: First of all, we've always had a team with top levels of talent in Europe. When you have top-level talent in all roles every year, it makes our floor a lot lower. Maybe other teams have some superstars that can take over a series or a game, but when all your players are good, it’s harder for things to go horribly wrong. We also have a very established system with our staff and practice. We try hard. I think we play the most solo queue, the most scrims, and we put the most care in everything we do. If we put together a team of the best players every year and put in the most effort, the results should follow.
After nearly two weeks without official matches, how did you and the players stay sharp and focused during this crucial preparation period?
Dylan Falco: The break week is definitely a bit anti-hype, especially for us, since we don't play until the last day. But we've just been scrimming. We've been trying to live and breathe the game and think about our plans. This time we’re trying not to spend too much time preparing for three different potential opponents. That was a mistake in the first two splits. We're trying to stay as broad and open as possible and then be present on Sunday.
You previously said G2 could beat anyone on a great day. Like other sports, League of Legends often comes down to how you show up and feel on match day. What mental and emotional approaches does G2 emphasize to ensure you perform at your best?
Dylan Falco: We've been doing breathing and meditation every day for the past three years. That’s normal for G2. We really take care of our physical health. Isma (Ismael Pedraza), our performance coach, puts a lot of work into that. As for the mental side on the specific match day, we’re just going to try and keep things as light as possible. That’s kind of been our philosophy this split: keeping things light and focusing on being present and making good decisions on the day.
On a great day, who would you most dream of defeating in the final: Fnatic, Karmine Corp, or Movistar KOI?
Dylan Falco: I think the most fun would be MKOI because we are in Spain. It would be a very loud crowd and we’d definitely not be the favorites. That would probably be the most exciting. Fnatic is a team we haven't played yet this year in this situation, so it would be cool to face all three different teams in three different finals. And third time’s the charm, as they say.
Labros "Labrov" Papoutsakis’ improvement this Summer Split has been impressive. How would you explain his progress, and how have you helped him find this form again?
Dylan Falco: I think he's always been the most talented support in EU, and he's had a lot of very strong games this year. He played really well at Esports World Cup. We changed the way we structure our game plans and what we focus on. I can't get into it too much, but there have been conscious changes in our approach. Memento (Jonas Elmarghichi) had a lot to do with it and hopefully it’s made him shine. I hope he plays well on Sunday.
Even with all eyes on this LEC weekend, it’s hard to ignore Worlds, as your season is far from over. Regardless of this week’s results, how confident are you heading into Worlds?
Dylan Falco: We're not the same team that played at MSI. Anybody who has followed us through EWC and Summer Split can tell we're different now. I expect us to perform significantly better. Even after some sweeping changes post-MSI, we took a set off an LPL team and have been dominant here in Summer Split. The Swiss stage is a crazy beast. We’ve had some harder roads and didn’t perform when it mattered in past years. We could get an easy run and make top eight, but that’s not what I want. I want to take series off strong teams at Worlds, and I think we’re poised to do so.
Have you been watching the LCK and LPL playoffs? Are there any specific players or teams that have impressed you and that you'd like to face maybe?
Dylan Falco: I've been watching a bit. I'm very happy T1 made Worlds. They just need to win the play-in match. But it’s great that Worlds will begin with a T1 best-of-five. That’s great for hype and viewers—what better way to start than a Faker (Lee Sang-hyeok) best-of-five? But this year, I’d like to play Gen.G. I think we match up decently well against them. From our last series, I felt like we had some gameplay. We took a game and really botched the last draft. So Gen.G is the team I’d most like to play.
After four years at G2 and many successes, do you ever get used to winning?
Dylan Falco: I wouldn't say you get used to winning. You still need to put in a lot of effort to get results on any team. Not just me, but all of my players. Some matches, like the Worlds qualification match, feel more about not losing than winning because the expectation is that G2 makes Worlds. When I was on a team like Schalke 04, if you won, it was an amazing thing. At G2, sometimes it’s more, “Okay, fine, we made Worlds,” and you feel relieved. But these weekends are still incredible, regardless of how much we’ve won.
Does the pressure ever feel overwhelming?
Dylan Falco: Early in my career, the big stages and high-pressure matches got to me. My decision-making in some of those early ones was sometimes bad, and maybe players had to carry through poor drafts or we just lost. I feel like I’ve had enough experience now that I’m not fazed. I know there’s always another tournament and I’m pretty chill these days.
How do you connect personally with your players to build trust and open communication?
Dylan Falco: As staff, we just talk to our players a lot. We have a lot of meetings, one-on-ones, and discussions to let people voice their thoughts and connect. We need to trust each other and work together in stressful moments. The more you connect throughout the year, the more you understand someone else’s perspective. It’s not just about practice conversations, it’s for those intense moments when decisions need to be made. We value that a lot. A lot of that comes from Romain (Romain Bigeard) he drives those sorts of things.
All of your players are signed through at least 2026. Only you and Rodrigo have a contract expiring this year. Is staying with G2 a possibility in 2026?
Dylan Falco: Definitely always a possibility. We've won a lot, and I really like it here. We’ll see how it goes."
Header Photo Credit: Hara Amorós/Riot Games
