Worlds 2022 Outlook series | G2 Esports (LEC) preview

With Worlds 2022 about to begin, the League of Legends European Championship (LEC)’s G2 Esports is one of the 24 teams from across the world making their way to the biggest event of the year. Every team entering the League of Legends World Championship has the same goal: to stand at the top uncontested and hoist the Season 12 Summoner’s Cup high.

G2 Esports were the first of the attending 24 teams to qualify for Worlds 2022. While they may not have won the League Of Legends Europeans Championship trophy, they for sure deserve their place in the tournament. Can the organization reach its previous highs of going as far as the Worlds finals?

WELCOME TO WORLDS:@G2esports are the first team to qualify for #Worlds2022! pic.twitter.com/aHiDx0rTp7

— LoL Esports (@lolesports) August 13, 2022

G2 Esports (LEC) Worlds 2022 starting roster breakdown

• Top: Sergen “Broken Blade” Çelik | Signed in November 2021, formerly a member of Schalke 04.
• Jungler: Marcin “Jankos” Jankowski | Signed in November 2017, formerly a member of ⁠H2k-Gaming.
• Mid: Rasmus “caPs” Borregaard Winther | Signed in November 2018, formerly a member of Fnatic.
• Bot: Victor “Flakked” Lirola Tortosa | Signed in November 2021, formerly a member of MAD Lions Madrid.
• Support: Raphaël “Targamas” Crabbé | Signed in November 2021, formerly a member of Karmine Corp.

How they got here

Many doubted G2 Esports as they signed three new players for their 2021 roster. While their spring regular season wasn’t the best, G2 had an incredible run in the spring playoffs. After losing to Fnatic they went undefeated in the lower bracket of the tournament with a total score of 12-0.

G2 started the 2022 Mid-Season Invitational really well; they finished play-ins with a score of 8-0. They even managed to beat both T1 and RNG in their first matchup against them. Sadly that success was followed by a losing streak and a 0-3 loss against T1 in the knockout stage.

G2 wasn’t the most dominant team in the LEC this summer. Despite a few ups and downs, they still managed to finish first place with a score of 12-6, which meant that G2 couldn’t finish lower than fourth place. Combined with their championship point, G2 automatically qualified as the first team to make it to Worlds.

After their qualification to worlds, G2 still qualified convincingly to the LEC finals. Sadly for them, they lost in Malmö against Rogue with a score of 0-3. This was a pretty big upset, especially considering the fact that G2 themselves beat Rogue with a score of 3-0 in order to qualify to the finals.

Players to Watch

Obviously, everyone thinks about mid laner Rasmus “caPs” Borregaard Winther when mentioning G2. However, we all know that the veteran will perform; support Raphaël “Targamas” Crabbé is who people should keep on their radar. This is only his first full year in the LEC after finding success in European Regional Leagues, and some already consider him to be the best LEC support.

Targamas is a very skilled player, but he is also very versatile — his massive champion pool is a proof of that. He can play enchanters or engage champions on an extremely good level but it doesn’t stop there. In the LEC playoffs Targamas also played Senna incredibly well, better than most bot laners would do. Meta often goes through an evolution during worlds and Targamas is a player we can trust to adapt on that level.

Top laner Sergen “Broken Blade” Çelik should also be kept an eye on; he isn’t afraid to play carry champions like Yone. Even on carry champions, he has been key to G2’s success and fits their 4-1 play style very well.

How G2 can succeed at Worlds 2022

Throughout the year G2 had some brilliant moments but also some surprising series of losses. For G2 to succeed they mainly need to be confident in themselves and remain at their highest level. If they manage to do so they should have a good chance to get out of their group. Yes, JD Gaming and DWG KIA are strong opponents, but they have their weaknesses. G2 have the skill and experience to find a way to exploit them.

G2′ Worlds could end in disaster, but if they show up in their best form and manage to keep it, they’re one of the dark horses for the final stages of this competition.