G2 Esports barely survived elimination from the League of Legends MSI Play-Ins, defeating GAM Esports 3-2 in their Qualification Match.
The LEC team struggled in games in which they were heavily favoured, as is tradition for European orgs in Play-Ins.
After taking all five games to defeat Brazil’s FURIA, G2 lived dangerously again as they struggled to close out the GAM series too.
Following the awkward performance against FURIA and losing 3-0 to Bilibili Gaming (BLG), many thought G2’s confidence would be shot.
However, they appeared to have recovered brilliantly by making an excellent start against GAM.
G2 were dominant in Game 2, bar one failed base siege, as they snowballed their early advantage to go 2-0 up in the series.
It looked like the EMEA team were going to take a clean sweep, but in Game 3 a fed Rasmus ‘Caps’ Winther was caught on a sidelane.
That gave a lot of shutdown gold over to jungler Đỗ ‘Levi’ Duy Khánh, which allowed GAM to take Atakhan and control of the game.
It’s possible that G2 got a little complacent, as shown by this silly death by Rudy ‘SkewMond’ Semaan, which was all too familiar to G2 streamer and Nunu-onetrick, KeshaEuw.
GAM gained momentum and played beautifully in Game 4 with uncharacteristic patience.
They prevented G2 from taking a single Drake, claiming Mountain Soul and Elder Dragon to tie the series.
Both GAM and G2 had already won five-game series earlier in the tournament, but with qualification at stake it was a tense Game 5.
So tense in fact, that the Feat of Warfare buff wasn’t picked up 29 minutes into the game when G2 picked up their third kill.
The latest Feats completion this season across all regions was 31 minutes.
A few minutes later, G2 had claimed Baron and began to end the game, narrowly avoiding disaster.
What’s next for G2 at LoL MSI 2025?
G2 had to scratch and claw their way into the LoL MSI Bracket Stage, but the hard work has only just started.
The reward for all their efforts is an opening round match-up against Gen.G, the tournament favourites according to LoL betting sites.
Meanwhile, their LEC companions, Movistar KOI, also have a difficult match as they face China’s BLG.
BLG decimated G2 3-0 in the Play-Ins, giving them key experience of playing on this patch.
It will take something special from MKOI to remain in the Upper Bracket.
And back in Europe, the rest of the LEC are finalising their rosters for the Summer Split.
Fnatic founder Sam Mathews has hinted that Fnatic will make LEC roster changes.
In my seven years of esports writing, I’ve introuduced esports coverage to newspapers, interviewed some of the biggest names in the industry, and driven viewers mad with the puns in my YouTube scripts. I’m most proud of the latter.
