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MSI Preview 2023: G2 Esports

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MSI Preview 2023: G2 Esports

The Kings of Europe stake their claim at the international title despite faltering in the Spring split. This G2 Esports MSI Preview is for you!

It hasn't even been a month since Caps and co. rose to the top 4 teams in the Spring spit. Their climb to the higher brackets was harder than anticipated, with breakout teams like KOI taking the spotlight away from the LEC favorites throughout the Group stage. There, G2 suffered unprecedented defeats on their path to the playoffs until they eventually fell to their Winter rivals MAD Lions in a slugfest best-of-five series. This marked the end of Caps and co.'s Spring split run, but now the Kings of Europe have bigger fish to fry: the international rosters assembling from all over the world for 2023's Mid-Season Invitationals.

Of course, G2 Esports will face stiff competition in MSI. Teams from regions all around the world will be vying for the title of champion, and each one will be bringing their A-game. Among them is last year's World Championship runner-up T1 led by the indomitable Faker himself. But in spite of the powerhouse teams coming from the LCK and the LCS, G2 Esports has proven time and time again in the EMEA league that they are up for any challenge. Their loyal fans are confident that they will come out on top, which begs the question: is G2 Esports' form still solid enough to go toe-to-toe with the best?

A Royal Entrance

Despite their shaky performance in Spring, the LEC's strongest bet in MSI has had a long history of making deep runs. Their last shot at Worlds 2022 placed them 11th among 24 other powerhouses that attended, and if history repeats itself, the Kings can find themselves in the top 5 again once everything is said and done. G2 getting another top spot in MSI 2023 seems likely. The organization has retained the majority of their killer roster from tournaments past, and their macro is so well-coordinated that it intimidates other teams to make mistakes that G2 Esports subsequently capitalizes on.

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On the top of the list is the team captain Rasmus “Caps” Winther who pilots G2 during their domination wins. The adored Dane is often regarded as the best midlaner in Europe, and his playmaking in the LEC (especially during 2023's Winter season) proves this. The 23-year old has a safe champ pool that he uses to get the upper hand. And despite G2's recent cracks, Caps always makes opportunities for his teammates to shine in high-pressure situations, funneling gold into their heavy-hitters when he isn't busy getting focused by the entire enemy squad. Granted, G2 has fallen off quite a bit performance-wise in their recent match-ups as compared to their strong Winter start. But it's good to know that they can reach LEC Playoffs on a bad day.

g2 week 2 summer 2022
MALMÖ, SWEDEN – JUNE 28: G2 Esports celebrated a hard-won series against Team BDS at the League of Legends EMEA Championship Summer Season on June 28, 2022 in Malmo, Sweden. (Photo by Michal Konkol/Riot Games)

Sharing the spotlight, we also have their botlaner. Once G2 Esports allows Steven “Hans Sama” Liv to thrive in bot lane, bodies start getting stacked in the midgame. And the numbers agree. Hans Sama found the highest average kills in the entire Winter Split, which landed his glorious red mane at the top of the split's leaderboard. Coincidentally, their top-laner shared the exact same statistic. G2's lethal ADC is someone that every team in MSI should be wary of, especially when they forget to ban Draven. Consequently, his unpredictable champ pool can be a double-edged sword.

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Of course, you can't forget the other two pieces in the G2 Esports roster. Mikyx and Yike have been instrumental to keeping their team's status in the LEC. The former is by far the best Thresh in the EU league, and G2's early game success has mostly depended on their Jungler. Yike will have to avoid past blunders to ensure his team doesn't get blindsided like in their KOI match-ups however.

G2 Esports roster and players to watch

  • Top lane:Sergen “BrokenBlade” Çelik
  • Jungle: Martin “Yike” Sundelin
  • Mid lane: Rasmus “Caps” Borregaard Winther
  • Bot lane: Steven “Hans Sama” Liv
  • Support: Mihael “Mikyx” Mehle

All eyes are on Caps to see if he can bring home the bacon and represent the might of EMEA alongside their LEC rivals. Keep your eyes peeled if Hans Sama gets his hands on Draven, when Yike plays Thresh, or the rare instance when both occurs.

For more of our coverage during MSI 2023, follow us on ESTNN.