Ready to right the wrongs of the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) Grand Finals, G2 Esports are ready to step onto the 2025 Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) stage. With FURIA as their first opponents, the Samurais are hungry for a swift victory and hope to make a show of force to advance through the Play-In stage and, hopefully, reach the Main Event. In an exclusive interview, head coach Dylan Falco sits down with Sheep Esports to discuss the team’s arrival in Canada, their practice schedule, and the level of Europe at the tournament.

How has it been settling in Canada ahead of MSI? Are you happy to be back in your home country, even if you're not from Vancouver?

Dylan Falco: "Yeah, I'm happy to be here. I've never actually been to Vancouver despite being Canadian. It's been pretty cool to come here and discover the city. It does still feel a bit like home. Things have been great for the team so far. We were practicing in Europe last week quite a bit, and we're ramping up here now. We're ready.

Are you aware that the LEC has more Canadian representatives than the LTA this year?

Dylan: When Movistar KOI took down Karmine Corp, I almost posted it on my Twitter, but since both finals hadn't concluded yet, I didn't want to throw it out there. I like it though, it's been a long time since I've managed to compete in my home country, and it's the first time I get to do it internationally, so it's a very big deal for me.

Since only the play-in teams have arrived so far, you're a bit early if you're aiming to scrim teams like Gen.G or T1. Have you still been able to get good scrim quality? I assume you scrimmed European teams before flying out?

Dylan: To be fully transparent, the scrim availability in Europe hasn't been the greatest, but we worked with what we had on hand. We played against some pick-up rosters and some ERL teams, for example. Here, a lot of the LTA teams are scrimming, along with the four play-in teams. We've had no shortage of teams to scrim, even if most Asian teams aren't here yet. It's been pretty good.

It sounds like there’s still some frustration in the team after how the LEC Finals ended, but that seems to be fueling motivation. How do you feel about G2’s current state and your drive to perform at MSI?

Dylan: On our best days, we are an incredibly strong team—much stronger than what people rate us. We've entered both LEC Grand Finals via the upper bracket with pretty dominant performances. The finals went poorly both times, and I think that changed the way people perceive us; but results on one or two days don't change the way I perceive my players. We're a threat here at MSI 2025. We'll be one of the strongest Western teams and one of the stronger teams in the tournament overall.

There’s been a lot of doom-posting about Europe lately, especially after teams like KC and FNC were eliminated. What are your thoughts on the overall level of the region right now?

Dylan: If people think Europe is a weaker region just because Fnatic bombed out of playoffs, well that mindset probably won’t serve them well, especially considering how things have gone in the past few years. I don’t put much stock in that kind of thinking.

Do you think both you and Movistar KOI have a good shot at MSI?

Dylan: The one thing I've noticed both from local and international play is that European teams have a very good grasp on how to play in fearless drafts. A team like MKOI is very scrappy in draft, especially if they get to later games. It's definitely an area where we can both have a pretty big advantage over other teams.

How do you feel about this year’s MSI structure with more best-of-fives and the addition of fearless draft? Does it feel significantly different from previous years?

Dylan: This will be our third time playing in this "revamped" MSI format, but it'll be our first time experiencing the Play-In stage in full best-of-fives. If we make it through, we'll have played so, so many games overall. That's just really exciting for me, it's great. As a coach, Fearless is where I can get involved the most. The decisions you make are not just repeating practiced structures; it's more dynamic. You have to be very smart and can have a big impact on the way a series evolves. I'm looking forward to it.

Is it easier to prepare for MSI now that you have more targeted opponents and always know your match-ups ahead of time?

Dylan: It's definitely easier too. In the LEC playoffs, we had two weeks where we had to prepare without knowing our opponents, which made it very difficult to prepare. Here, we know who we are facing and it helps a bit. We've always been good at this kind of practice.

Starting in the Play-In, you first face FURIA and could meet GAM later, while many eyes are on BLG as the LPL representative. How do you assess the overall level of the Play-In, and do you expect smooth sailing for G2?

Dylan: We've looked extensively into all three teams. This Play-In stage will be quite competitive, in my opinion. There's obviously Bilibili Gaming, an outstanding team internationally in the past few years, so I have to imagine a lot of people see them as favorites to make it through. Still, this is a different BLG and a different G2 than the past. We've always been toe to toe against them, so I'm hopeful. It'll be fun.

FURIA is considered the weakest team on paper. How are you preparing for that match?

Dylan: FURIA is one of the most interesting teams Brazil and the LTA South has sent for a long time. They have a lot of young talent, and personally, I love seeing a region send players like that instead of the same usual players who maybe haven't performed internationally in the past, even if they were good. They have young and very talented players, so we're not taking this match lightly. We've done a lot of scouting and work. I still think we are the favorites, but they can definitely be a strong team and surprise people.

With G2’s motivation to succeed internationally, do you truly think G2 can go far in this tournament?

Dylan: Of course, we can make it quite far. We performed really well last year at MSI, and I'm expecting the same this time around. We're aiming for a top 3-4 finish. We can do it.

What is the main difference between G2 in 2025 compared to the 2024 roster?

Dylan: Last year's roster was more explosive, more aggressive, less controlled. We used to blunder games a lot more than we do now. We've really adapted to become a more controlled and disciplined team this time around, which I think is a very good thing.

With MSI and EWC happening back to back, and the latter having an objectively worse format with plenty of best-of-ones and best-of-threes, how do you feel about competing in both? Some say the events might devalue each other—what’s your take?

Dylan: The format is going to make it a bit more crazy and unpredictable: teams are going to travel across the whole world just to play in best-of-ones. Still, for us, any opportunity to perform internationally is one we want to take. Playing against the strong teams from across the world, we take those. We're very excited to play both events. If there was a third or fourth international event right after, we would fly to play in those as well.

Would you want even more international events?

Dylan: If I could, I'd want to perform internationally all the time. Still, I'm a fan of the current yearly structure. They've done a really good job this year in expanding international play, I like it.

Is there anything you’d like to say to G2 fans watching this?

Dylan: Thank you for supporting us. We're confident heading into MSI 2025, and we're very excited to play internationally again. I hope that you guys will cheer us on."