Yike after G2 vs T1: "We want EU teams to regain hope [...] Our region has to get stronger."

Martin "Yike" Sundelin, defeated by T1 at the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2024.

"We got outclassed in teamfights. If we work on that, I think we'll be an insane team [at Worlds]."

G2 Esports faced off against T1 in the lower bracket of the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2024 last Friday. Despite an impressive performance throughout the tournament, the team couldn't overcome the Korean representatives and were eventually eliminated at their hands. Following the defeat, Yike, one of G2's key players, shared his thoughts on the match, the team's experience at MSI, and their future prospects.

After this difficult match, what are your initial thoughts?

Martin "Yike" Sundelin: "My first thoughts are simply that they played much better than they previously did. We also underperformed quite hard. I think that we were extremely stressed today, much more than before at least. I'm not really sure why what caused it but, we played completely differently than how we played against Top Esports and other teams. Today was not nice.

Do you think the high expectations for G2, especially after defeating TES and PSG with 3-0s, influenced your performance against T1?

Yike: Maybe. It's hard to say but, I'd say it most definitely influenced us somewhat. Having so many people hyping us up and thinking that we could beat T1 easily, it definitely did have some influence on me, and probably some of my teammates. Usually, we've always been underdogs against Asian teams and now, our expectations were reversed. People thought that we'd take it since T1 were playing badly.

Despite the scoreline, G2 still succeeded in getting early leads against T1. Are there positives for this match?

Yike: I'm not sure where the positives are right now. We just played much worse than we had throughout the rest of the tournament. I'm definitely more critical about ourselves at the moment. In game 3, we started waking up and being more proactive. It felt good at that moment but otherwise, we were just losing at every point in the match and there weren't many positives.

Would you say that not playing with enough confidence is one of your biggest regrets for this match?

Yike: Maybe. In my eyes, there were definitely moments where I could have played more confidently, especially when it came to shot calling but also in terms of mechanics and overall gameplay. I don't think I played very well today. Hopefully, I can improve on that for the next tournaments we have.

Yike, competing at the MSI 2024 against T1. Credit: Liu YiCun/Riot Games

Do you see this tournament as a stepping stone for something greater at Worlds? What are your expectations for the future with this roster?

Yike: Despite our match against T1 today, I think that we've had a very good showing throughout the rest of the tournament. I think that we played really well but also had great preparation. I honestly thought that we would win the entire tournament, which is why it feels terrible to lose this hard. I think we'll learn a lot from this tournament for the summer season and Worlds. We at least showed that we can beat Asian teams.

What do you think are the biggest lessons and takeaways from this MSI as you head into the summer split?

Yike: I think that we played much better with our macro and how we interacted with side lanes. Still, I'd say our biggest lesson is in team fights. We got outclassed several times in that aspect and, T1 especially, played them much better than we did. It mostly came to how we approached them mechanically, and that's why it was always hard for us to keep up in the later portions of our matches. We have a lot of work to do as a team in that department but, if we can improve on that, I think we're going to be an insane team [at Worlds].

What are your takeaways from this trip to China? Did you enjoy the experience, and how do you feel about the quality of practice and scrims you've had?

Yike: I really enjoyed China. The atmosphere in Chengdu and outside the arena was always nice. The people here are great and, I've just had a great time overall. Our practice was also very good. I didn't have any bad experiences with solo queue or anything else. Everything was set up quite well and, our bootcamp was great. Overall, this whole trip to MSI and China has been amazing for me. I really enjoyed it.

G2 Esports, defeated 0-3 by T1 at the MSI 2024. Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games

Chinese fans have been very supportive of G2, despite having taken down TES. Did you feel this support from the Chinese fan base?

Yike: It always makes me very happy to hear all this support from China, even though we beat one of their teams. It really shows that they respect our gameplay and the manner in which we play. It's very nice to play here. I'm very grateful to all the Chinese fans who showed up.

What are your current plans before the summer split? Are you going to take a break after this tournament?

Yike: I'll probably be going to take a breather for now. I'm not sure how long our break is going to last but, we'll probably pick things up very soon again. But yeah, for now, probably going to relax and not play the game for a few days. When things cool down, we'll go back into practice, start re-watching our MSI games, and get back into playing the game.

What do you think about the team atmosphere right now and over the course of the tournament? Were you happy with how you guys played together and your overall synergy as a team?

Yike: I was very, very happy and comfortable with the team throughout the entire tournament. Our bootcamp, the time at the hotel, every moment was great and I was happy spending my time with everyone on the team. We went around as the 10-man unit we are and it was very nice. I feel grateful to have this kind of team and those experiences with them. It feels amazing to be around them. Our team atmosphere was great throughout the entire month.

Yike, sitting backstage after a difficult defeat. Credit: Liu YiCun/Riot Games

European fans went into this tournament with little to no hope for their representatives. With your victories against TES and PSG, you have helped reignite hope for many. Do you think that there are reasons to be hopeful? Does Europe have a chance to continue this upward trend for Worlds?

Yike: I really believe so. I hope that after watching us play this MSI, teams will regain some hope. Europe has not been doing well in the last few years. I think that we definitely performed much better this year at MSI.

I wouldn't say that we did great or amazing yet since we lost to T1 twice, but I think it was still a decent tournament overall. I think that other European teams need to regain that hope. Our region has to get stronger and, hopefully, this hope can lead to better practice within the LEC for everyone.

Do you have any words for the fans and the people who have supported you?

Yike: I'm very grateful for all the support that I and my whole team have gotten from our fans throughout MSI. I'm very happy with how the tournament began, even though we lost against T1 in the first best-of-five. We also got a lot of confidence from how we played and, that helped us a lot against PSG and Top Esports. Overall, it was a good run and I'm very happy with how we've been playing in our best moments. Thank you all so much for supporting us and I hope you'll keep doing so in the LEC and at Worlds. Thank you."

Header Credit Photo: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games