G2 Esports is back. They’re more back than ever before. The legendary team of Europe, known for international performances of years past, had been relegated to dominating the LEC, and the LEC alone, for several years. But today, the low expectations for Western LoL fans have been completely flipped upside down. Facing off in against Gen.G, the #1 seed from the LCK, the Korean powerhouse team playing perfect League under the leadership of such players as Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon and Kim “Canyon” Geon-bu, G2’s run was expected to end in First Stand Semifinals. But G2 won. And despite all of the everlasting hype around Gen.G, G2 won in not a nail-bitingly close series, but a 3-game sweep. And at the helm of G2 is the same midlaner leading the team back in their last international finals, the king of Europe, Rasmus “Caps” Winther, intent on claiming his throne.
Game 1 saw standout jungle play from young jungler Rudy “Skewmond” Semaan, setting up the foundations of the lead on his decisive Pantheon pick, as the entire team was able to convert into a swift victory. In Game 2, exceptional play from Lampros “Labrov” Papoutsakis and Steven “Hans Sama” Liv dismantled Gen.G’s world-class botlane, with world-champion Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk ending the game with 0 kills. Game 3 saw yet another monster game from Skewmond, ending with 0 deaths in a complete jungle canyon delivered to the namesake of the term.
For G2, this series marks their progression to their first international final in 2,323 days, since their fabled run at Worlds 2019. For Gen.G, this marks their first series loss after 10 series victories. That means today is an incredible triumph for EMEA and Western LoL fans everywhere, and another seismic defeat for the perennially-hyped Gen.G, always poised to find their international success, yet so often faltering.
G2’s run at First Stand comes from a run to qualify that seemed far from suggesting international finals. The team, in fact, barely qualified not to First Stand, but to LEC playoffs, nearly missing it for Los Ratones in a 7th place qualification that came down to the wire. But from that point, G2 has levelled up again and again in such a short period of time, and now, they’ll be facing either the LPL’s BLG or JDG, looking to claim the First Stand title. This makes them EMEA’s second First Stand finalist in First Stand’s two years of existence, after KC’s run last year reached similar heights. If G2 can surpass KC, and pick up their first international trophy since MSI 2019, LEC fans will certainly have a year to remember.
