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The League of Legends' LEC 2021 season was one of the worst that G2 Esports witnessed in their history. They failed to reach the Spring and summer splits finals and failed to qualify for Worlds 2021.
While this might be acceptable for other organizations, it is definitely not the case for G2, as qualifying for Worlds should be the minimum requirement. G2, alongside Fnatic, are two of the most successful organizations ensuring EU dominance within League of Legends. Both of these teams are torchbearers on the international stage. While Fnatic continues to dominate, G2 has fallen massively.
Therefore, to ensure that something like this does not repeat, G2 Esports will be looking to rebuild as of season 2022.
Rebuilding should focus on quality and the ability to shot-call in League of Legends
Since the disastrous loss to Fnatic and MAD Lions, fans and professionals have focused a lot on the exact issues plaguing G2 Esports. They made a super-team composed of some of the best players in the world. However, they were outclassed and outmatched by rookies, and this has raised a few eyebrows.
On the day of the loss, G2’s CEO, Carlos Rodriguez, tweeted that they will rebuild their League of Legends roster for next season. This means that apart from their mid-laners Caps and ADC Rekkles, no one is safe. Rekkles is probably safe as he is mechanically skilled, and this was his first season at G2. So kicking him now would be a mistake. The primary focus will be G2’s top-laner Wunder and support Mikyx.
Wunder has been a target for many as his lack of focus and dedication towards League of Legends has made fans angry. His obsession with World of Warcraft and lack of drive to work on his skills have led to some abysmal performances. Wunder has traditionally been known to trash-talk a lot. However, in 2019 he was the best top-laner in the EU. Since then, he has only deteriorated, with 2021 being one of his worst years ever.
Apart from that, Mikyx has also been very poor. Since Perkz left, his performance has dropped quite a lot. It was hard for several fans to see Mikyx getting bullied by Hylissang from Fnatic or Kaiser from MAD Lions. Jankos has been the most consistent player at G2. But as he grows older, the team might look to replace him with someone younger.
The primary issue that G2 has faced is shotcalling within League of Legends. Perkz was the one who used to do this a lot. However, Rekkles and Mikyx are reticent players. Wunder has been disastrous, while Caps is the star carry. Jankos is not the best shot-caller either. Therefore, the team has lost the leader who can drive losses to victories.
Players who can take G2 Esports back to the top
1) Kaiser
Kaiser is currently one of the best League of Legends support players in the EU. His contract with the MAD Lions runs out after Worlds 2021. He could be a potential replacement for Mikyx. Kaiser is smart and can make insane plays all across the map. His positioning and lane dominance makes him a terror, and the way he engages in fights leads to some perfect setups for the team. Kaiser on Rakan is one of the best within the LEC and could be an ideal fit to pair alongside Rekkles.
2) Broken Blade
Broken Blade has been touted by many as an ideal replacement for Wunder. Schalke 04 had a disastrous season, and they will be disbanded after a last-place finish. This means Broken Blade is a free agent, and G2 Esports can grab this opportunity. He is one of the best top-planers in League of Legends alongside Armut and Odoamne. Therefore, Broken Blade could solve the weak side problem that G2 has been having on account of the horrible performance by Wunder.
3) Treatz
Treatz is one of the best replacements for Mikyx in the support role. The Swedish League of Legends player from SK Gaming, who was shifted to the jungle in 2021, is quietly one of the most intelligent support players in the EU.
Rekkles requires a lot of protection, and defensive support like Mikyx, unfortunately, does not help. Rekkles, unlike Perkz, is not vocal and, therefore, Mikyx struggles to understand how to proceed. Treatz can solve this issue, and he can drive the lane alongside Rekkles, thereby helping G2 to win the bot-lane within League of Legends.
4) Carzzy
As crazy as it might sound, G2 might bring in a change to Rekkles as well. The possibility is low. However, there is definitely a chance. If they do indeed, then Carzzy is definitely a top choice. The ADC from MAD Lions is definitely not the strongest in the team. However, he is aggressive, and his synergy with Kaiser has helped MAD on numerous occasions. If G2 goes for Kaiser, they might get Carzzy to ensure that the bot-lane is completely revamped.
5) Bwipo
Jankos has definitely been quite consistent as a player. However, he is getting old, and G2 is no stranger to taking the best that Fnatic has to offer. Bwipo has shown that he can dominate games and provide early game aggression, which has been missing from G2 quite a lot. So bringing in this 22-year-old jungler from Fnatic might be a master class considering his contract ends after League of Legends Worlds 2021.
There is very little chance that Fnatic will let Bwipo go or that G2 will replace Jankos. However, if it does happen, then G2 might go on to play some of the best League of Legends that the world has ever seen.
It is important to realize that all of these changes are subject to contract expiry. Hylissang, Razork, and Selfmade are also going to be free agents. Considering that G2 got Rekkles for free, the money from Perkz’s $5 million transfer to Cloud9 is still in the bank.
So if G2 wants to pay these players up massively, then there is no way they will be denied. So, in either case, at least two of these players will make it to G2 as they rebuild. However, fans will have to wait for the team to bring in the preseason of League of Legends’ LEC 2022.
This article reflects the opinions of the writer.
