On Monday,
G2 Esports became the first team to qualify for the
LEC Versus final in Badalona. Over the course of the week, the Samurai successively defeated
Karmine Corp and
Movistar KOI without conceding a single loss. They thereby secured their place in the tournament’s decisive series, aiming for a First Stand’s qualification. It will also
mark the organization’s tenth consecutive final—an unprecedented achievement within the region.
G2’s dominance over the European scene in recent years was already widely acknowledged; it is now reflected unequivocally in the sheer number of finals they continue to contest. One must look back to the Spring Split 2023 to find G2 absent from a final, when they were eliminated by eventual champions MAD Lions in the lower-bracket semifinal.
Since then, the European kings have remained a constant and seemingly unavoidable presence for any team aspiring to claim a domestic title. Across their last nine finals—including two Season Finals in addition to the three annual splits—they have lifted the trophy seven times, suffering only two defeats last year, against Karmine Corp and Movistar KOI.
A well-known scenario
As in previous seasons, there were grounds to speculate about a potential end to G2’s hegemony following an inconsistent regular season that fell short of the organization’s usual standards, briefly suggesting a more open competitive landscape.
Yet from the outset of the playoffs, G2 adopted a markedly different complexion, reasserting their authority with a victory over Team Heretics early last week. Facing two significant tests thereafter, they were required to dig deep—first overcoming Karmine Corp in a tense second game that proved pivotal, and subsequently sweeping Movistar KOI just days later.
This final will also represent the tenth consecutive appearance for the three longest-standing members of the roster — Sergen "BrokenBlade" Çelik, Rasmus "Caps” Winther, and Steven “Hans Sama” Liv —, while for Rudy “SkewMond” Semaan and Labros “Labrov” Papoutsakis, who joined at the start of last year, it will be their fourth straight final with the team. In the championship match, G2 will face either a rematch against last year’s opponents, Karmine Corp or Movistar KOI, or a first-time encounter on this stage with GIANTX.
