(courtesy of Riot eSports, flickr)
From Challenger to Champions, G2 eSports shrugged off historical European LCS playoff trends by knocking out Fnatic, then dismantling Origen in the finals to become LCS champions. Before our full recap, we take a quick glance at the series.
G2 eSports stuck to the formula: pressure, pressure, pressure, and this time it worked.
Origen were always just a hair away from winning Game 3 and 4, and both Alfonso "Mithy" Rodriguez and Paul "sOAZ" Boyer performed admirably, even in losses. The constant pressure by G2 was simply too much for them to handle, though. OG couldn't pull through in tightly contested matches even with gold or objective leads, leading to a 3-1 victory for the Challenger squad.
You could very easily call upon some of Origen's season-long demons as an explanation for this series. Jesper "Zven" Svenningsen has shown a regression from his dominant Worlds form, often finding himself caught out, mispositioned, or just unable to deal sufficient damage to turn fights around. You could also point to poor objective control. In their Game 1 and 3 losses, they destroyed a combined 4 towers, one dragon, and one baron. That's it.
G2, on the other hand, dictated the tempo of the series, sometimes losing at their own game, but more often outpacing and overwhelming their opponent. Luka "Perkz" Perkovic showed a hell of a Zed and total Leblanc mastery in Games 1, 2, and 4, stealing the show on multiple occasions with flashy plays and constant presence.
Ultimately, G2 were one step ahead every time it mattered. Across the board, their team is solid, showing very little weakness in a Bo5 format. If they can continue their regular-season domination, expect G2 to make a similar run at the Summer Split crown.
