Taking down
MAD Lions KOI in a 3-1 fashion,
G2 Esports have now been crowned as the champions of the
LoL EMEA Championship (LEC) for the 13th time! Following this
victory, we had the chance to discuss with the team's jungler
Yike in an
exclusive interview about the team's journey and its future ambitions.
G2 Yike, celebrating with his team after winning the 2024 LEC Winter Finals.
| How are you feeling after this match?
Yike: "I'm doing very good! I'm very happy and relieved that we won the split."
| This best-of-five was super interesting! I heard that the team went in confidently. How did you feel after losing the first game? Was it surprising?
Yike: "Yeah, I mean, we were definitely confident, but we also aimed to stay humble and not get too overconfident, you know? MAD Lions KOI proved to be a tough opponent today, especially in the first game. They caught us off guard with their flex picks and their style of play. I'm genuinely impressed by their performance. We knew we had to step it up in game two, and I believe we managed to do just that."
| People have been saying that G2 hasn't been contested enough in Europe. How did you feel about the level of competition this split? Do you think that MDK had a good showing today?
Yike: "I think that the teams that were expected to perform well have under-performed, while teams like MDK or BDS really stepped up and surprised everyone. I'm not sure of the exact reason. Perhaps some teams aren't putting in as much effort in scrims and practice, which could be why. I wouldn't say the level in Europe right now is incredibly high. Apart from maybe us, there isn't really another team that's outstandingly strong."
| You picked Lillia in game 4, obviously a comfort pick for you. We've often times seen you pull her out in important games before. Today went quite well and you even got a pentakill! Could you give us your reasoning for picking her? Is it just comfort or were there some strategies behind the pick?
Yike: "I'd say it's more about comfort, you know? It was kind of similar to game 3. The first half of the draft was basically the same aside from Varus and Senna being traded. When I saw that Lillia was open, I felt like I had to pick her. I felt confident picking her because I know her match-ups very well and knew that she would be fine into their champions, I knew I could handle them well. I was confident I could carry the game if I got Lillia, so we went for it."
| You've been supported by your parents from the start of your career. We saw that "Papa D Yike" was here today right?
Yike: "Yeah he was here. There was my dad, my girlfriend, and her sister. It was very nice to have their support today!"
| It must feel great for you to have your family and close ones support you so much at every events!
Yike: "Yeah it truly feels amazing."
| Do you think they'll have the chance of coming over for MSI in China?
Yike: "That might be challenging. My mom and dad came to Korea last year, which was really nice. However, China might be more difficult for them to travel to. But hopefully, for the upcoming finals we have in LEC and also for Worlds here in Europe, I hope they'll be able to come."
| With this win, you've booked your ticket for MSI and, as we mentioned, China. Last year you had a very emotional interview after Worlds 2023 in which you were very critical of yourself. How do you feel towards your performances in this split and do you think you are ready for international play again?
Yike: "Yeah, I think I was satisfied with my performance at MSI last year. I believe I did pretty well. However, at Worlds, my second international tournament, I wasn't very happy with how I played. It started off well, but then I gradually performed worse and worse. I was really disappointed with how it ended because it had started so promisingly. It just turned so quickly... We went 2-3, and then we were out of Worlds. I was really sad about that, and I want to make sure it doesn't happen again. So, for this MSI, I'm going to keep giving it my all, playing as much solo queue as I can, practicing scrims, focusing on the right champions, and everything else. I just want to perform better than last year."
| Do you feel that you're more of a mature and confident player now?
Yike: "Yeah, I definitely think so. I have more confidence in the drafts and the champions I want to play. Sometimes, I might suggest a Lillia pick, even if it wasn't the most optimal choice for our team comp, like when we had full AP top side. So it's a bit of a risk as well. I want to ensure that if we take these risks, I really perform. That was the goal, and I believe I achieved it."
| Due to the LEC format, you're now in a peculiar position with three weeks of break before heading straight back into the Spring Split. Firstly, what are your plans during the break, and secondly, how do you see yourself approaching the spring split?
Question 1:
Yike: "On Tuesday, I'll be flying back to Sweden. I need to get my braces fixed because I have to do that every eight weeks or so. It's something I usually do during our off weeks. I'll get to see my dad, mom, and sister again, which will be nice, and then I'll fly back to Berlin. I might spend some time with my girlfriend and then get back to practice.
Question 2:
Yike: "Comparing to last year, we're determined not to repeat the same mistakes, not to slack off like we did. We're going to give it our all in the spring because we're aiming to win all the trophies — winter, spring, summer, and the season finals. That's the goal. We don't want to lose any of them, so we're going to approach this split the same way we did this one: with more effort, more dedication, and better performance."
| We've seen a lot of comparaison to 2023 G2. Looking back at your form at the start of last year and the G2 we saw at Worlds, what do you think changed?
Yike: "I believe our macro game has improved significantly. It's hard to say if we're "insane", but I think it's evident that other teams are also struggling with macro play right now. You can see it in many games where teams seem unsure of what to do in mid and late game situations. Since we added Duffman to the team, he's been very vocal and has helped us immensely with our mid and late game strategies. I think our improvement in this area is a big reason why we're performing so well at the moment."
| Broken Blade was awarded the title of MVP tonight. Do you agree with that? Did you expect getting the title with that pentakill in game 4?
Yike: "It's fine. I'm totally fine with him getting the MVP because honestly, he played incredibly well today. He secured so many solo kills, controlled the top side, and his communication was spot on. He really deserves it. It's true that I got a pentakill, but it's all good, I think he truly earned it. Most people tend to be crowned MVP after pentas but BB was on another level today."
| Is there any team you're looking forward to playing against internationally?
Yike: "For sure, I'm definitely looking forward to playing against T1. We had a good experience winning against them at the "Red Bull League of Its Own" show-match, which was fun. T1 is one of the teams I'm excited to face again. Also, I'm eager to compete against BLG from the LPL. We've had several matches against them and unfortunately, we've always lost. I'm really looking forward to getting my revenge and defeating them. That's one of my goals for MSI."
| Do you have anything to say to the fans?
Yike: "I just want to thank everyone for their unwavering support, for consistently having my back, for speaking positively about me. It surprises me sometimes that I don't receive any negativity, even when I might feel like I didn't perform well. The amount of support I receive is overwhelming, and I'm incredibly thankful for it. Thank you all so much."
G2 Esports, celebrating after their victory.
