Sheep Esports - G2 Yike: "It’s nice to finally beat an Asian team. I think we’re better than most of them and I believe we can be the best team in the world"
G2 Yike: "It’s nice to finally beat an Asian team. I think we’re better than most of them and I believe we can be the best team in the world"
Scoring the West's first win against major Eastern teams, G2's Yike gives an exclusive interview discussing the team's success and aspirations at Worlds 2024.
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Martin "Yike" Sundelin, jungler of G2 Esports at Worlds 2024, LEC representatives.
"I don't care about what team we draw, I just want to beat whoever we get."
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G2 Esports bounced back and secured an important win against Weibo Gaming at the League of Legends2024 World Championship. The LEC's first seed has now earned two chances to qualify for the quarterfinals in Paris. The team now turns its sights toward its upcoming best-of-three against T1 in the Swiss Stage. We had the opportunity to catch up with jungler Martin "Yike" Sundelin right after the Samurais defeated WBG, where he shares his hopes, his thoughts on the jungle meta, and a recent anecdote involving T1's support Ryu "Keria" Min-seok.
How does it feel to secure the win in such a chaotic game against Weibo Gaming? G2 sure seems to love putting on a show!
Martin "Yike" Sundelin: Yeah! This game, I think the early game was going pretty well for us. We got what we wanted, but then we started getting caught a bit before objectives, which made it harder. They got Nash once, and it was still tough for us. However, I think we had it under control. We knew that our team comp was much better than theirs, so I did not doubt that we'd win, and we did in the end.
How does it feel to be the first Western team to defeat an LCK or LPL team at this year's tournament?
Yike: Wait, really? No one else had? Okay, I didn't even know that. But that's nice, you know. Last year, we also beat Weibo and Dplus KIA, so it's just nice that we can show we can beat these Asian teams because I think we are better than most of them. I believe we can be the best team in the world, so it's a good showing that we can beat these teams.
The loss to Hanwha Life must have been frustrating. How did you adapt after that loss? Are you confident about your chances of beating more LCK and LPL teams?
Yike: For sure, I hope we can beat as many teams as we can, you know? I don't know who we're going to play against, and it's going to be exciting to see. But whoever we get, I think we're going to beat, and that's going to be the goal. I don't really care; I don't want to expect NA or whatever team. I just want to beat whoever we get.
Since you can't rematch against HLE, which remaining team would you most like to face the most? At 2-1, you could face DK, FLY, T1, or TES. Perhaps you'd like to take revenge on T1?
Yike: I might have to say T1, yeah. I think the rivalry is so fun. It's always exciting to play against them, and the fans love watching that.
Any message for T1?
Yike: I really hope I can face you guys, and I hope we have an entertaining match whenever we end up facing each other. It’s always fun to play against T1, and I love seeing the G2 and T1 fans watching together. I hope you all enjoy the game if we play each other.
I noticed some friendly chats between you and Keria in Champions Queue. What was that about? Did you two get to visit each other?
Yike: Yeah, it was kind of fun. We were actually neighbors in the hotel, right next to each other. He was spamming my name because I think he wanted to play with me in the Champions Queue game. But I was playing with Caps and Mikyx, so I couldn't switch teams. Then he kept saying, "Yike come! Yike come!". I told him, "No, but after the game, we can do a handshake". So after we won, we opened the door, and both Mikyx and I did a handshake with him.
In our last conversation, you mentioned being excited for Worlds to face top-tier junglers like Canyon. Does that motivate you to keep pushing forward and prove yourself against players who are like your idols?
Yike: Definitely, I mean, that's always my goal. We play against the best players, and I want to beat them to show that I can be one of the best. We played against Peanut two days ago, and it was a very close game—we almost beat him, which is a good sign. I beat Canyon last year too. It's just nice to play against him and win.
After your win against Weibo today, are you relieved that you're not sitting at 1-2 and potentially having to face BLG after their match?
Yike: For sure, I was pretty scared of being 1-2 and facing BLG. I don’t think anyone wants to meet them, so for sure, that’s scary. I’m happy we won—I think we deserved it, and I’m glad we did it.
Inspired mentioned in an interview that match-ups in the Swiss Stage felt like a coin flip. Do you agree? What's your opinion on the format?
Yike: The Swiss stage format is fine. I can't compare it to the previous 4-teams group stage, since I’ve never played that. I started with this format, and I think it’s okay. Some matches, like T1 and BLG facing each other early, can feel a bit unfair, which is sad, but that’s just how it is. I don’t mind though — we just have to win some games.
Do you think that the bracket stage is G2's comfort zone? Are you confident in your chances there?
Yike: Yeah, I think it would be nice because then you have more time to talk about who you're playing against and what you should do. You can plan better, and it’s probably easier that way.
Was it extra special to win against Weibo Gaming in front of your family, given their support and presence at the event?
Yike: Definitely, for me, it’s always special to show it to my family. My dad, my mom, and my girlfriend are all here watching, and it makes me so happy to see them cheering and screaming my name. It really gives me a boost to try harder and just win.
Can you tell us more about how has your relationship with your parents evolved throughout your competitive career?
Yike: It was for sure a long journey. I think it started with me just playing from home, you know. My mom probably wasn’t the biggest fan of me going into esports because she didn’t really understand it as much. My dad understood a bit, but he was also strict about it. But then I showed that I can actually do this for a living and that I really love it—it’s so fun. After that, my dad started really supporting me, and my mom did too. Now, they’re my biggest supporters. I think it’s been nice trying to convince them, because usually it’s hard with parents, but for me, it went pretty smoothly, so I’m happy with that.
G2 has been benefiting from the "Dads buff" for almost two years now, with Caps' and Yike's families following them throughout. Credit: @CAPS_dad on X
How are you managing the pressure as you prepare for potentially tougher matchups, especially considering this is only your second time at Worlds?
Yike: Overall it's fine. I think today was the most stressful day for me because I didn't want to go 1-2, so it was definitely stressful. I'm happy we won. But yes, we have a good environment around me with my teammates and the staff. I think Ismael, our performance coach, helps me a lot to release all the stress and pressure.
Speaking of comfort, we've seen you play some non-meta picks like Lillia and Nocturne. Are you happy with the current meta? Do you think it aligns well with your playstyle?
Yike: I think the meta right now is pretty open, right? You have tanks, you have bruisers, you have AP champions. There's a mix of everything, so you just play what you think is best. And now people started banning Brand against me, so that's kind of funny.
Do you think any other Western teams will make it to the quarterfinals?
Yike: FlyQuest is still doing really well, right? They're 2-1 right now. It's really sad that MAD Lions KOI and Team Liquid aren't doing well, but I think there's still a chance for the West to perform. So it's going to be interesting to see the 2-2 matches because we may get some EU vs. NA matchups, and that would be fun as well.
Do you have any final words for your fans and Western fans as a whole?
Yike: Just believe in us. We are showing that we can beat the big teams, and we are going to try our best to make you proud. Keep supporting G2 and all the other Western teams. Thank you! See you in Paris!
Armand Luque is an interviewer and journalist with deep roots in the EMEA League of Legends scene. A veteran of the esports world, they hail from France and are best known for their work on Leaguepedi...
