G2 Memento: "I really wouldn’t want us to be remembered as a team that did well in 2025 but ended up stagnating"

After a slow start to the 2026 League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) Versus, reigning European champions G2 Esports are beginning to find their rhythm. With important matches ahead, the team will need to stay on top of its game to avoid another misstep. In an exclusive interview, assistant coach Jonas "Memento" Elmarghichi sits down with Sheep Esports to discuss G2’s slow start in the 2026 LEC, what he wants the team to avoid, and the ultimate goals for this lineup.

Jonas "Memento" Elmarghichi: "It's not the start that we would have preferred, obviously. But I think we are ramping up and relearning a lot of the old concepts that we've been doing since last year. At the same time, we're adding a lot of new things because we want to be an improved version of last year. Obviously, it's very easy to just go and do the same thing we did last year, but the ultimate goal is to do better internationally and try to level up our game. And that's kind of what's happening now. The regular season of the Winter Split in best-of-ones is probably a good time to level up our game. It may cost us some losses, but in the long run, I have faith that it's going to do us good.

Memento: First of all, it's also a very new patch. There are a lot of different changes coming in. I think that's the biggest thing—the new quests, and how the waves operate now. That's more of a factor than just relearning our old basics, because it is kind of a new game. We're always trying to find creative ways to break it and get one step ahead, and sometimes that costs us, moving backwards instead of forward. But overall, we're always looking for the best possible solutions.

I also think that players in general, and staff too, are a bit like goldfish—we tend to forget the things we learned last year. But that's just the process for any team. It's obviously going to take time, but I still think we're on the right track. Hopefully, we'll be ready for playoffs.

Memento: I don't think it's a lack of trying or disrespecting our opponents. I think it's just that we haven't had any competitive games for about a month or two, and we only had scrim data from the new patch. Scrims are always very different from stage games, which are less chaotic and less aggressive. You might play a very aggressive comp in scrims, and it seems to work because the enemy team is trading with you, but on stage, people play more respectfully—they focus on drakes and play slower.

So, the first week is really about getting back into the habit of how stage games work, playing more for objectives and tempo, and keeping the game simpler. Scrims can give misleading data, especially early in the season.

Memento: It's about different types of competition. I mean, you're only as good as the people you can practice against. Going from MSI and EWC into Worlds, we had mostly played against LEC teams, which is a different game in general. Asian teams are much stronger, so it’s a bit of a whiplash when you go to Worlds and realize, “Oh, that’s how the game is supposed to be played.” They play much faster, and you have to relearn some habits.

Overall, I don’t think it’s necessarily about the result. Making quarterfinals is a big boost for us—it makes us feel like we can go even further. But the main thing was being at Worlds, being competitive in scrims, and winning scrims against top-tier teams. That’s what really fires you up and makes you believe you can go further. In competition, it’s about who shows up on the day—you can have a great day, and sometimes teams like KT beat Gen.G if the circumstances line up. Being there, scrimming consistently against top teams, and performing gives you hope.

Of course, it’s a great honor to be the first European team in years to make the quarterfinals. It’s exciting to give Europe confidence. This year, we want to level up even more. But first, we need to focus on the LEC and take one step at a time.

Memento: You would need to see them play against international teams to know if they have the formula. But I do believe that LEC teams overall are improving constantly. The thing is, League of Legends changes every single day, and people are always figuring out new things.

At the same time, people tend to forget the fundamentals of the game. Many times, they get so focused on mechanics, but there’s a certain way to play the game that has existed for 15 years. A lot of the old concepts get forgotten, even though they were very effective back in seasons three or four. There are basic things that people just overlook.

So, I’ll admit, this is a bit of a messy answer. But overall, what I’m saying is that League is developing rapidly, and it’s important to remember the core fundamentals of the game—they exist for a reason.

Memento: Ideally, doing well internationally—that would be the number one thing, like making it to the semifinals or even further. But I’d still like us to be remembered as a team that improves consistently over the year and becomes better. I really wouldn’t want us to just be remembered as a team that did well in 2025 but ended up stagnating and staying at the same level. I think that’s an issue many teams struggle with—they feel like they’re not going backward, but they’re also not really getting better, and you just get stuck. You’re good, but you’re not actually pushing your limits.

So for us, it’s all about finding ways to continue improving—developing certain picks, certain strategies, and refining how we play the game. That’s what we’re always focused on: finding ways to break the game or just improve it day by day.

Memento: I expect us to have a good performance—I hope. But I expect a better performance than the last two weeks, which will mostly come down to scrims and how we operate. I don’t have specific thoughts on how the games will go, but my expectation is that we do better than we did in the past two weeks and continue improving week by week heading into playoffs.

Memento: That is the goal—to be the uncontested best team in Europe. But we have some strong competition. KC and MKOI look strong, and the other teams are in good form as well, so it’s not going to be easy. We need to work hard for it, and it comes down to how we live our days—the effort needs to be put in to actually achieve it. So yes, I hope we will be the uncontested kings of Europe."