LEC 2026 – G2 Esports: Still Water Runs Deep (10/10)

After concluding 2025 on a high note with an LEC Summer title and as the only Western team to reach Worlds quarterfinals, G2 Esports enjoyed a remarkably calm offseason. Europe's top squad of the year—reaching three finals across three splits and three international events—they knew early they would retain their starting five, just as after the 2023 season.

The Samurai remain led by Rasmus "Caps" Winther, flanked by veterans Sergen "BrokenBlade" Çelik and Steven "Hans sama" Liv. Joining them still are last year's new faces, Rudy "SkewMond" Semaan and Labros "Labrov" Papoutsakis, who helped the club finally break through the glass ceiling they had hit at Worlds.

G2 Esports General Manager Romain Bigeard sat down with Sheep Esports to unpack their serene offseason, explaining why short-term market upgrades held no appeal and reaffirming the club's full confidence in its starting five. He highlighted the players' genuine excitement heading into 2026 and the fresh challenges awaiting them, while also discussing the role of their new academy team.

Romain called it "a poorly kept secret" how calm things stayed: "You had practically no contracts to negotiate, for all intents no major rumors, so you retain the lineup early." Reaching Worlds quarterfinals locked continuity: "The collective went as far as possible at Worlds. And it still is the goal for the entire League of Legends team to win it." To him, progress all year long felt tangible: "We were accelerating, identifying new challenges, and resolving them all together." The abrupt end left unfinished business, but the vibe stayed positive.​

A Worlds flop would have triggered changes: "It depends on who you play, how you lose, daily management, bootcamp, new concepts, and mental handling." But this year, it seems G2 executed well: "I had no impression we were exhausted, nowhere near that horrible Worlds feeling where deep down you want it over." He also underlines the mental resilience the team had, stating: "Two-thirds of Worlds teams aren't even the best at home. SO I always tell the team, 'They want to win this? They couldn't even win at home.' The only anomaly is T1 who arrive at their worst and win. But for G2? Being the EU champion and the best Western team gave us the willpower to go ride that train all together again."

G2's decision marks their second consecutive full roster retention since 2023, positioning them as early European leaders in developing talent rather than swapping out weak links. Worlds results ultimately guided the choice, as they focused on crafting "a collective to perform nine months straight and shine the ninth." Romain dismissed chasing marginal advantages, explaining that while "a champ-specific guy 3% better off presents a challenge," their internal daily evolutions proved far more valuable than the upheaval of integrating newcomers.​

Agents wasted no time after their elimination, flooding in with "DMs trying to sell their players," but G2 always responded with rejections in under 24 hours—"the shortest in 10 years," delivered simply as "'No sorry, good luck, ciao.'" as he puts it. Even specific negotiations around big profiles like Kacper "Inspired" Słoma fell through. On this topic, Romain commented, "I believe Skewmond is better, and that everyone will see it by the end of 2026."

The veteran core of Caps (locked through 2027), Hans sama, and BrokenBlade meshes perfectly with SkewMond and Labrov. Romain remains convinced "they are the best at their roles in Europe, and 2025 didn't change my mind, because they all fit very well with the rest."​

For BrokenBlade's uneven year, the staff took a measured approach by flagging weaknesses while "concentrating on strengths and ending on a strong year-end finish." Romain dismisses Winter criticism of Skewmond and Labrov, insisting they rank "clearly among the best at their positions in the league," with no lingering veteran-rookie divide: "There is no impression internally that you have three veterans and two newcomers. That was more of a feeling at the start of last year. Now we have five guys who are at the same level, with the same level of feedback and the same level of importance in the approach."

Romain emphasized constant communication and forward planning to keep the core engaged: "We talk a lot, because the game changes a lot and deeply." The latest patch has already reignited enthusiasm, with Riot's push to "accelerate the game—a good idea for Gen Z who need instant stuff." Gone are the days of "clicking lane and waiting 1m30 to out-CS your opponent during the next 10 minutes. Now you have many things to do right away," and the players seem to respond very well to this, as he feels they are "very excited since the beginning, more than usual."​

A stacked 2026 schedule provides further fuel, from Brazil's First Stand, "the only competition we have never played yet," to playing against Los Ratones with former teammate Martin "Rekkles" Larsson, as well as the Karmine Corp Blue matchup which hypes Romain, and the new LEC Versus format. Romain summed up how this makes this offseason even more special for his players: "No need to stimulate the players much so far. The game is different, the format is different, and the opponents are different. We really can't wait to start 2026."

Romain views the 2026 LEC Versus format through a split lens. From a business standpoint, he finds it "extremely damaging," having helped build the LEC (LCS EU at Riot—a "formidable product that took years to convince investors to buy franchises for millions"—only to see "valuation in the trash by letting non-payers participate, hurting ecosystem continuity and wallets." But his glass still is half-full: "For fans and viewers, however, it's very good, very cool, bringing fresh rivalries, stories, and experienced players. Even if academy teams like KC Blue feel less ideal than another potential unique name to the league, the duo is cool."

For a long time, Romain publicly stated that maintaining an academy team costs far too much in today's European LoL ecosystem. Yet G2 NORD launch in 2026 within the Prime League. Its primary purpose remains sporting: "In theory, our academy players need to reach the LEC in 2027. Will it be with G2 or other teams? That remains to be seen, of course. But yes, that's the goal of an academy—to promote players to the big league or qualify for the LEC through the new systems."​

For more roster changes, check out our Transfers Hub and Offseason Live Tracker.

1. NAVI with Head Coach TheRock
2. SK Gaming with Head Coach OWN3R
3. Team Heretics with Head Coach Hidon
4. Movistar KOI with Head Coach Melzhet
5. Shifters with no one
6. Team Vitality with CEO Neo
7. Karmine Corp with Head of Esports Clément Laparra
8. GIANTX with no one
9. Fnatic with Head Coach GrabbZ