G2: Lol Esports, League of Legends, LEC, Riot Games, G2, G2 Esports. Lol, Perkz, Caps, Mikyx, Wunder, Jankos, Grabbz, Duffman, Ocelote

This is how G2 Esports created the best team Europe has ever seen

The story of G2 Esports

What’s your single favourite moment as founder of G2?

When I poured all my life savings into the company when nobody believed in us. Watch me motherfucker.

From its inception in 2014 as a humble League of Legends team called Gamers2, the now sprawling and prolific pro gaming team G2 Esports has always been about the players. After all, it was founded by one – veteran LOL superstar Carlos ‘ocelote’ Rodríguez Santiago. “Asking about the origins of G2 is like asking about the creation of the first pyramid,” jokes ocelote. “Let’s just say that our first pyramid was a crappy, 2ft-tall, all-sand, soft, unsteady piece of garbage that, through the power of failure and learning, ended up becoming a ginormous 500ft titanium-built leviathan over the years.” Now, G2 is a global esports and entertainment organisation fielding teams in seven different games, including a superstar League of Legends European Championship squad widely considered to be one of the best ever assembled. “We have absolutely amazing relationships with all our players,” says ocelote when he tries to explain the team’s meteoric rise. That, and his vision: “Win. Entertain. Make people laugh. Not in that particular order.”

get to know the players

Get to know the Players

Having spent over five years wearing the shirt, Croatian Luka ‘Perkz’ Perković is the team’s figurehead and rock (even if he’s still just 21).

PERKZ

Perkz says

Since game one I knew that this team was going to be something else.

Winning against SKT T1 at Worlds 2019 felt really good. It was one of my career highlight so far.

I used to look up to Faker [three-time Worlds winner and SKT superstar] all the time. Now I look at what all the good players are doing.

G2 Esports star Perkz poses with his arms crossed

He’s not wrong: with Perkz on board, G2 have won seven EU LCS/LEC splits. And his willingness to switch things up, swapping lanes back and forth with Caps, has taken G2 all the way to the Mid-Season Invitational trophy in 2019.

G2 Esports star Perkz makes a gesture with his finger and thumb

G2 Esports star Perkz points upwards to suggest the sky is the limit for his team

As for everyone else? They look at what Perkz is doing.

G2 Esports star Perkz confidently points to himself

Slovenian Mihael ‘Mikyx’ Mehle, G2 Esports’ superstar support is already a veteran of the League of Legends European Championship, with five years of professional LOL already.

Mikyx

Mikyx says

"It was the only good game on my PC at the time and it could run without freezing," he jokes, remembering his teenage years playing games. “I didn’t know I could use my keyboard at first!”

Slow computers and even injury haven’t been able to stop him however – he played on through G2’s stellar 2019 campaign, winning two splits and MSI and reaching the final of Worlds, all with an injured wrist.

It was a challenge. I didn’t actually know if it was ever going to get better or if my career would end just like that.

G2 Esports star Mikyx poses with his arms crossed

But Mikyx almost didn’t discover his knack for League at all.

G2 Esports star Mikyx tilts his glasses in a knowing manner

It didn’t – will anything be able to hold him back now?

G2 Esports star Mikyx puts his arm on his neck, looking embarrassed

Martin ‘Wunder’ Hansen, G2’s Danish toplaner, is another mainstay of the LEC. Though he’s just 21, he’s been playing professionally in the league since 2015. A veteran of Splyce (now MAD Lions), Wunder got the call up from ocelote in late 2017 when he began to rebuild the line-up, and he hasn’t looked back.

Wunder

Wunder says

I was willing to sacrifice a lot to be on a winning team and achieve big things. It pretty much clicked from the start.

G2 has dominated League since their debut in LEC and will continue to do so.

The team had a storming 2019, even winning the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) and reaching the grand finals of Worlds.

G2’s stalwart jungler, Marcin ‘Jankos’ Jankowski is the father of the team at 25, and in his seven-year career as a pro League of Legends player has seen a lot of change. But despite his success – he’s been to Worlds with two different teams, and won three back-to-back LEC splits with G2 – he remains grounded.

Jankos

Jankos says

I don't really consider myself a big star, I just always wanted to win and try my best.

The game has changed a lot and there's more strong rookies coming each year. Overall I think it's very exciting to see the game grow and still try to adapt year after year.

I'm hoping to keep winning European titles and at some point win Worlds before I retire.

G2 Esports star Wunder poses with his arms crossed

G2 Esports star Wunder points with his left hand

G2 Esports star Wunder playfully poses, pointing two bananas at the screen

G2 Esports start Wunder reacts in surprise

G2 Esports star Jankos poses with his arms crossed

G2 Esports star Jankos points towards his name

G2 Esports star Jankos raises his fists, ready for the challenge

G2 Esports star Jankos yells in celebration

ocelote

GrabbZ

Spaniard Carlos ‘ocelote’ Rodríguez Santiago has been involved in competitive League of Legends since the game was in beta, first as a player, and then the founder and owner of G2 Esports. “We take huge pride in having remained at the top ever since we qualified for the LEC,” he tells us. “I’m proud of our whole staff and players that got us here. I’m not gonna lie, we’re pretty good at our job.” Under his watchful eye, G2 have not only expanded into other popular esports with great success, but dominated European LOL, winning seven EU LCS/LEC splits since 2016. “G2 is the best place to be to maximise your competitive career, and our players know it,” he says, adding boldly: “We will win the League of Legends World Championship. And we will do it our way: by having a good time.”

Head coach Fabian ‘GrabbZ’ Lohmann is one the architects of G2’s return to winning ways in 2019, helping to rebuild the squad that has since gone on to win three consecutive LEC splits, the 2019 Mid-Season Invitational and reach the finals of Worlds that same year. The German is level-headed in his coaching style, and seeks to strike a balance rather than bend everyone to his style. “When I go through the door I try to make every practice count,” he says. “Every player has different wants and needs, and catering to all of them without coming across as fake or unfair is one of the hardest parts.” It’s certainly something he’s managed though, and he’s led the squad to some dream moments for the team and fans alike. "Winning the MSI 2019 semifinals versus SKT so far is my fondest memory,” he says. “I really hope it will get replaced by us lifting the Worlds trophy though."

Go Back to Intro

This is one of Perkz’ most memorable fights ever. SKT were considered one of the strongest teams at the tournament. At the beginning of the fight, Perkz (playing Yasuo) is dead and his team is losing the fight, but right as he respawns he dives in and starts turning the fight by massacring SKT members. He manages to pick up the quadra kill and ends the game.

With G2 wiped out, SKT use the respite to start up Baron, the biggest and strongest objective in the game. G2 scent blood and decide to fight SKT; Mikyx gets a massive knock-up and taunt and SKT scatter to try and survive. G2 decide to chase and pick off the living SKT members to end the game. Ruthless counter-attacking at its finest.

The MSI 2019 EU versus NA finals were a complete stomp – in fact, the fastest best of five in international LOL history. Here, G2 are knocking at Team Liquid’s door at just 17 minutes. Wunder lands a really nice Neeko's E to root Team Liquid in place, which allows Caps to ult in and utterly decimate the NA LCS champions line-up.

RNG were the tournament favourites coming into Worlds 2018. The series with G2 was back and forth, but in the final game Jankos set up Perkz with an early game kill and Perkz just started hard carrying from there. RNG tried to start a last-ditch effort, but G2 pounced on the opportunity and Jankos smacked down Uzi. With RNG’s damage gone, G2 steamrollered over the rest of the RNG squad in one of the biggest upsets in Worlds history.

Where do you see the team in five years?

Most competitively successful esports team worldwide (we already are). Most entertaining brand in esports (we already are). Most empathetic brand in video games (we already are). So, all in all, we will keep pushing the envelope to remain as the number one.

What’s next for G2?

More involvement in casual gaming and other entertainment industries. G2 represents an idea, and we wish this idea to be as widely spread as humanly possible.

Looking back, what are your thoughts on the G2 journey so far?

It’s been fun as hell. I honestly wouldn’t change my job for anything in this world. This is my dream job and I wish nothing but to keep having fun with it for many more years.

When you first envisioned G2, did you ever foresee the team would be where it is today?

Yes. I knew we would create the largest esports enterprise and we are doing just that. Although I typically don’t grow obsessed with the specifics of the future, I always have a vague idea of what it will look like. In the future, you’ll see G2 as part of video games, movies, shows and documentaries in the most commonly used streaming platforms worldwide, in multiple languages.

What was your vision when you founded G2?

Win. Entertain. Make people laugh. Not in that particular order.

What do you think has been the single most important moment in the history of G2?

As an organisation, I gotta say there’s a handful of them:

What has been the single greatest moment for G2 LoL?

Winning MSI. Nobody expected us to.

What do you see for the future of G2 LoL?

We will win the League of Legends World Championship. And we will do it our way: having a good time. The same way we became the first Western team to win MSI, a slightly smaller scale World Championship.

What do you think was the first match where everything just clicked?

There’s not a single match where everything starts to click. The growth of a team that aspires to be #1 is organic and painful. The strength of a team is not necessarily measured in good moments, but in bad ones. G2 is the epitome of Crunch Time.

When did you know you were building something special with this team?

When Perkz and I started discussing life-related issues and having deep thoughts about things besides League of Legends. The bond we’ve created over the years is capital for the success of this team and we trust each other way beyond our jobs. Besides Perkz, we have absolutely amazing relationships with all our players, which is likely one of the reasons why we keep renewing with them pretty much yearly. G2 is the best place to be to maximise your competitive career, and our players know it.

1: Qualifying for EU LCS, relegating my former team SK Gaming after beating them 3-2.

2: Making the first ever successful international, English-speaking CS:GO team back in 2015.

3: Becoming the first relevant esports organisation getting into Rocket League.

4: Rebranding to G2 Esports and making the Samurai the centre of our brand.

5: The moment we proactively built our brand attributes and character.

Duffman And grabbz

Go Back to Intro

Duffman

G2’s head analyst Christopher “Duffman” Duff doesn’t play professional League of Legends – he just lives it instead. In conjunction with his team of scouts and data analysts, the Scotsman has to round up all the enemy intel he can before G2 go into battle on the Rift, as well as provide crucial pointers for the team during their training. “I’m in charge of bringing all of that work together and working with the team to put it into action,” he explains. Having been with G2 during their arrival in what is now the League of Legends European Championship back in 2016, he knows better than anyone what is expected of a team that has won four LEC splits back to back not just once, but twice. After a brief stint away in 2018, he was lured back to join the core of 2020’s world beating team. You know what happened next: MSI, more split wins, even the grand finals of Worlds. “When I saw how flexible and how dominant we were with everything we tried, it was clear this was a special opportunity for a roster,” he says. “We're aiming to be the best we can be.”

Get to know the TEam