The LEC saw
G2 Esports have a rollercoaster year, changing two players including a rookie, losing two finals, then
winning the Summer Split. Now they enter Worlds 2025 with a strong position. Head Analyst Rodrigo "
Rodrigo" Domingues Oliveira talks about their year-long preparation, approach to Worlds, the Zouhair "Kotei" Draji
scrim spying drama, and his personal work with the team.
How did your preparation for this Summer Split differ from previous ones where G2 struggled, and even from the past two years?
Rodrigo "Rodrigo" Domingues Oliveira: "I think the biggest difference in preparation this year has been how we've been working internally over the last few months. In 2023 and 2024, we had well-defined processes that worked really well and were a big reason for our success. This year, even though we finished second, we had to adapt those processes to improve and finally secure first place, because anything less than first is a failure.
We changed how we operate in terms of preparation, responsibilities, and decision-making around drafts. We also focused on relieving the pressure on the players and redistributing responsibilities in day-to-day operations. It's worth mentioning that this shift started during the EWC, where we saw immediate improvements. At the end of the day, processes are only good if they work for your team, and I feel like we've really found our strengths now.
How did the team's preparation change for the LEC Summer Split finals, given the unusual two-week break in the schedule?
Rodrigo: We took advantage of the start of the break to test alternative draft strategies, different trade scenarios, and specific responses to certain picks. After that, the most important thing was to focus on the present and not get caught up in preparing for ghosts, since we had three potential opponents in the final — any of them could’ve made a lower bracket run.
The main focus was on how we wanted to play the game and draft for ourselves. We avoided the classic "If we play against KOI, we do this, but against Fnatic we do that, and against KCorp we do something else" approach to relieve the pressure, because it's simply impossible to prepare consistently if the focus is all on the opponent rather than on ourselves.
We built confidence in our own scenarios and explored multiple options. In the final week of practice, we ended up scrimming against all the teams and we didn’t use bans in the early games of fearless to make necessary adaptations for the finals. It was clear that some teams were very dependent on specific draft situations and champions to perform, and our team gained a lot of confidence that we'd be able to adapt and beat any opponent on Sunday.
Why do you think G2 stayed the best in Europe with three finals in three splits, despite claims of a "clear top 4" in LEC this year?
Rodrigo: To be honest, beyond having players with incredible raw talent, we have a solid structure behind them that really helps push them toward success. Our coaching staff knows their roles inside and out, and everyone understands exactly what needs to be done. Thankfully, even after two consecutive final losses and a rough MSI, the team never lost motivation. Instead, it seemed like a fire was lit within us, and every member was more determined to win. All we focused on was "how are we going to win?" I’m really grateful to be part of such a motivated team that never took its foot off the gas.
How do you evaluate competition at Worlds this year?
Rodrigo: My first impression is that the Korean teams are the strongest at this World Championship. The Chinese teams are definitely strong as well, but they’re a bit more volatile right now, which puts them slightly behind the Koreans.
What do you believe G2 can achieve this year?
Rodrigo: As our performance coach always says, it’s important to live in the present and manage expectations. Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. Based purely on how we play, I think we match up well against the best teams in the world, and I feel like we have a more reliable way of winning games than in 2023 and 2024. So, if we do our part and show up on the day, we can achieve great things at Worlds. But again, it's all about living in the present.
How do you plan to keep the team's focus during these euphoric times, while abroad and facing the world's best?
Rodrigo: The team is fully focused and keeping their minds on what matters. Sure, it’s exciting to travel and experience new cultures, but we’ve already traveled so much and been through so much together this year that everyone is clearly just focused on playing the game now. Some of our players have been to these tournaments many times, but for SkewMond (Rudy Semaan), for example, it’s his first time. Whenever I talk to him, I can really feel his drive and desire to prove himself against the best in the world. It’s similar to what happened in the LEC finals. We don’t know who we’ll face in the Swiss Stage, so the most important thing is to focus on ourselves. If we do that, the results will follow.
Have you watched LCK/LTA/LPL/LCP playoffs, and are there any teams or players you are willing to face this year?
Rodrigo: Of course! I watched a lot of the playoffs from all the regions, though I didn’t manage to follow the LCP too closely, unfortunately. Overall, I’m really excited about the idea of facing Gen.G for the revenge and because they’re considered the "best team in the world." Playing against T1 is always exciting just because of the aura they carry and being the current World Champions.
Besides them, I’d love to face BiliBili Gaming again and prove that what happened at EWC wasn’t just a fluke. We’re here to win. And as always, I’m looking forward to playing against the Brazilian team Vivo Keyd Stars, because of the affection I have for the Brazilian community. At this point, it feels like we always end up facing the Brazilians in international competitions.
Does G2 have any spicy strategies or picks planned for Worlds, as usual?
Rodrigo: Yes, of course, the kitchen is always cooking. Even in the final, I think we showed a little bit of what we’ve been working on, especially with some of the picks from BrokenBlade (Sergen Çelik) and SkewMond. It always changes from patch to patch, but we definitely have some new things prepared on our side.
Can you share your side of the recent Kotei controversy about lobby passwords and spying accusations?
Rodrigo: The reality of the situation is that multiple teams in the LEC have been entering each other’s lobbies to see who they’re scrimming with. It’s something that’s happened a lot over the past few years. Last year, we had plenty of situations where we didn’t want anyone entering our lobby, so we simply changed the password to something unique instead of using the generic one, and that usually solved the problem. I think Karmine Corp was under a lot of pressure, and during the break between the regular season and the playoffs, things weren’t going too well for them, so they naturally became more stressed about anything that happened.
I remember being in scrims when I got a notification about Kotei mentioning me, and I just thought, "Ah, this is going to be annoying." When the spam got out of hand, I just uninstalled Twitter/X and focused on the game against KCorp. The rest of the team didn’t really pay much attention to it, and we didn’t make a big deal about it. I talked to my girlfriend and our performance coach, Isma (Ismael Pedraza), about how to approach it mentally, and everything worked out fine. The more I tuned out, the more fired up I got to win the series. Let's just say there were some loud cheers when we took down that last Nexus. Recently, Kotei even reached out privately to talk about the situation, and it’s all good now. Water under the bridge. Competition is always tough.
How do you handle the pressure of the G2 name, especially since you're not on the Rift and often nervously biting your nails with Dylan Falco in the booth?
Rodrigo: I’ve never been someone who gets affected by pressure, especially on stage or in the lead-up to games. From a young age, I was involved in football competitions thanks to Brazil, so I’ve always been exposed to these kinds of situations. I’d even say I felt more pressure presenting my master's thesis than I ever have for League of Legends games. For me, stepping onto the stage in front of the crowd is always a very special moment, so sometimes I like to wear something unique in my outfit to add a little something extra to the experience.
My approach to dealing with pressure is pretty simple: Is there a challenge? If not, great. If there is, can I do something about it? If yes, awesome. If no, then it doesn’t make sense to worry about it because there's nothing I can do.
Can you share a memorable moment from this Summer that truly represents the spirit of the team?
Rodrigo: I think the most special moment definitely came when we won and both SkewMond and Labrov (Labros Papoutsakis) lifted the trophy together. It was such a great way to wrap everything up and show that their hard work had paid off. Both of them always gave their best, focusing purely on being the best versions of themselves, so seeing them lift the trophy genuinely made me happy. Each of us has our own story, but that moment really was the perfect way to sum up our journey as a team.
Skewmond, the Finals MVP, and Labrov proved in the final that they are in the best form of the year ahead of Worlds. Credit: Kirill Bashkirov
What’s your role in fostering team unity, as Romain stresses connecting as humans? Any special bonding stories?
Rodrigo: I'm usually a pretty happy and outgoing person with the players. I know what each of them likes to talk about outside of LoL, so I always try to interact with them on those topics. From anime to football, to random life facts and sharing past experiences, I think we all get along really well. On top of that, I like to show the players a bit of programming and explain some of the things I do, since many of them have never seen that side and don't really understand how it works.
It leads to some funny discussions. I also bring an outside perspective so they can understand how certain things happened in the past or situations that aren’t very common for a pro LoL player to deal with. I like to think I'm pretty chill, like capybaras. They live their lives calmly, not worrying about random things.
All your players are signed through 2026, but only you and Dylan have contracts ending this year. Is staying with G2 in 2026 an option?
Rodrigo: I really enjoy being here, and honestly, I don't see myself at another team besides G2. I did consider going back to a more traditional life as a software engineer. I got really emotional after the Upper Bracket finals in Berlin against KOI because I thought it might be the last time I'd step on that LEC stage in Berlin. That's the beauty of competition. You never know when it might be your last time winning something or competing in an event, so you have to appreciate every moment. Right now, anything is possible."
Header Photo Credit: Kirill Bashkirov
