LoL - Worlds 2025: G2-TES, one can return to glory

The third quarterfinal of Worlds 2025 is set to be one of the most closely followed matches by Western fans. Europe’s last remaining hope, G2 Esports, face off against China’s third seed, Top Esports, in a best-of-five that feels just as open as the one from yesterday. Both teams are unpredictable, and their level of play has swung dramatically across the Swiss Stage in the tournament.

This clash carries heavy stakes: the winner will reach the semifinals for the first time since 2020 and will face the winner of T1 vs Anyone’s Legend next Sunday. Before that, let’s dive into how both teams have performed so far and what factors might decide this duel.

G2 finally broke their years-long quarterfinal curse, making it back to the Worlds top eight for the first time since 2020. But standing in their way are familiar rivals, Top Esports, who already crushed them in the Swiss Stage in just 32 minutes. Even though that first-round sweep was not close at all, both teams have taken very different paths since then.

TES’ run has been turbulent. Falling to both LCK opponents, KT Rolster and Gen.G, they punched their ticket to the playoffs with wins over 100 Thieves and Bilibili Gaming in a chaotic best-of-three that did little to reassure their fans. The strong, coordinated TES that dismantled Anyone’s Legend in the LPL playoffs has been nowhere to be found. Their form has often looked shaky, which opens the door for G2 — even if the European side is still seen as the “weakest” of the quarterfinalists.

G2, meanwhile, benefited from a rare, favorable draw. After their opening loss, the LEC champions bounced back against Movistar KOI, Bilibili Gaming, and FlyQuest. None of those wins came easily, but that’s often what defines G2 as a team: resilience. They’ve repeatedly found ways to outlast opponents who thrive in chaos — a valuable trait when facing an LPL squad that loves to skirmish early and often.

History looms large over this matchup. The last time a European team defeated an LPL or LCK squad in a best-of-five came at the Mid-Season Invitational 2024, when G2 spectacularly swept TES 3–0. At Worlds, the precedent goes back even further — to G2’s own 3–0 victory over Gen.G in the 2020 quarterfinals. As always, Europe finds itself relying on G2 to carry the region’s banner into the semifinals.

For Top Esports, it’s another shot at redemption on the international stage. After a swift 3–0 exit at the hands of T1 in last year’s quarters and their infamous 2022 group-stage elimination behind Rogue and DRX, TES still carry the label of underperformers abroad. Their struggles have continued into 2025 — they failed to impress at the First Stand, falling 2–0 to Karmine Corp, CTBC Flying Oyster, and Hanwha Life Esports.

Both organizations are searching for redemption and a way to rewrite their international narratives — and advancing to their first semifinal in five years would be a defining moment for either one.

Both G2 and TES are capable of sheer brilliance when the pieces align — but both have also shown how quickly a single misread or failed teamfight can unravel their game plans. Execution will be everything. Basically, it will all come down to which team shows up on their best day. A peak form G2 could easily win 3-0, but the exact opposite scenario is exactly as likely.

This is Rasmus "Caps" Winther's eighth appearance at Worlds, yet this may be the one where he feels the least dominant ever so far. Fortunately, he will be facing Lin "Creme" Jian, who is also struggling a lot in the tournament. Their duel may not decide the series through highlight plays, but through which midlaner better manages pressure and map control.

The botlane promises fireworks, with Yu "JackeyLove" Wen-Bo standing as one of TES’ most reliable carries. He’ll be up against Steven "Hans Sama" Liv, who, at his mechanical peak, has the potential to defy expectations alongside an in-form Labros "Labrov" Papoutsakis. All eyes, however, will be on the jungle. Seo "Kanavi" Jin-hyeok’s recent missteps against Bilibili Gaming revealed moments of mechanical inconsistency that could open space for Rudy "SkewMond" Semaan to shine with his signature off-meta picks. Expect an intense battle for control and counter-jungling from start to finish.