Not since 2013’s MvP Ozone has there been a scenario quite like G2. This team went from the goal to get into playoffs by the end of the split to ending up winning their first ever EU LCS split entirely. G2 Esports surpassed any expectations viewers had of them as the new team on the block. Through really cohesive team fighting and quick adaptations, Gamers 2 have proven their worth in EU. Now comes time for this young squad to prove their worth on a larger scale.

Mateusz “Kikis” Szkudlarek

There always was an asterisk to his performances in the jungle role of Unicorns of Love. He could be playing a great game individually, but the playstyle of The Unicorns was all over the place and often credited their wins to simply being crazy. His transition to the top lane was not just a very successful one, but also one that forcibly removed the aforementioned asterisk.

Kikis has legitimately demonstrated he's capable of being the solid rock in the top lane as well as become a reliable engager. His performances on champions like Poppy have been nothing short of impressive. Kikis has shut down critics who claimed he wasn't versatile and has made a resounding statement, basically telling the EULCS, “I’m here to stay.”

Kim “Trick” Kang Yoon

Very little was known of Trick, other than he was a substitute player in CJ Entus back in 2014 prior to the team unifications at the end of the same year. Coming into the EU LCS without a background can be a bit scary for a new squad. Even if scrims and the prior promotion tournament goes well, nothing compares to the feeling of battling the best teams in your region week-in and week-out in front of a live audience. Trick took this pressure and channeled it into one of the best Jungle performances we have seen in EU in quite some time.

While he’s not aggressive early on or flashy, both him and PerkZ often take time out of their regular farming to lay down vision in the enemy jungle. While it has cost G2 some early first bloods, it has never held Trick back from being able to amass leads in the jungle simply by understanding when he can invade enemy camps safely.

By mid game, Trick is in a stronger position than the enemy jungler most of the time, and his synergy with PerkZ made them one of the deadliest Jungle/Mid combos in EU.

Luka “PerkZ” Perkovic

EU has good midlaners; that's just a fact as much as League of Legends is a video game and Riot Games makes money. There is a long standing tradition of EU always finding new mid lane talent every split and Perkz wasn't going to be different. PerkZ doesn’t shy away from match ups that may not be preferable for him, knowing that he understands exactly what his limits are and how far he can reach with certain champions. G2 hasn’t really been efficient when playing with champions such as Lulu or Twisted Fate (champions who's sole purpose is to set up his team just as much as they do damage) but he has shown his champion pool is deep enough to fill most of his team’s necessities.

From powerful waveclear in Azir and Corki, to high assassination power in Leblanc and Zed, PerkZ has shown he has absolutely no problem in dueling the best of the best EU had to offer at this time. PerkZ is also a bit of a surprise at times -- not because he does something crazy, but rather is capable of taking trades which, at first sight, would look like a terrible idea.

Kim “Emperor” Jin-hyun

I’m happy to see Emperor doing well. As a long time follower of the Korean League of Legends scene, Emperor struck out as one of those players with, and I hate to use this word, potential. He was drafted in the line up of CJ Entus to replace Cpt Jack in 2013, and for a brief period in 2014, made a formidable duo alongside former teammate Lustboy. Since then, Emperor found himself travelling to Brazil with former teammate DayDream in an attempt to make a bigger name for himself than he'd be capable of doing in CJ Entus (which was going through a rough period). After a disappointing 2015, Emperor didn't achieve his goals and finally got picked up by G2 as possibly a final attempt to make it abroad.

Not only was Emperor able to achieve his goal of making a name for himself, but he's managed to find a way to the top of the food chain in a league that features ADC's such as Rekkles, Zven and even the best ADC in the west, Forg1ven. Emperor has always been a great position player, finding ways to maximize his damage all while avoiding being destroyed or punished. Versatile and capable of carrying games by himself, Emperor has demonstrated to EU what he’s capable of. All that's left is to demonstrate it to the world.

Glenn “Hybrid” Doorenball

After being unable to qualify for the 2015 Summer Split and losing the finals of the EUCS Spring Playoffs, Hybrid had been hovering around the radars of several LCS teams. Fans that had witnessed Hybrid play in the challenger scene took serious notice of the young Dutch support. He was very well versed in playing both supportive, squishy champions that require precise positioning to function well - to engage supports which can help initiate fights and removes the load from other members of his team.

It’s uncertain how long it might’ve taken Emperor and Hybrid to develop an understanding of one another’s playstyle; it’s undeniable that they’ve become the scariest bottom lane to deal with in EULCS -- barring maybe H2K’s bottom lane. Still, the ability for Hybrid to peel as Braum and Thresh is something definitely worth taking a look at. Again, not flashy, but definitely effective.

Players to look out for: Perkz and Trick

Normally I’d just mention one player, but as the meta currently stands, the understanding between the mid laner and the jungler is extremely important. G2 has shown moments of weakness early when they attempt to invade the jungle but get punished for it. Sure, their decision making in later stages of games is enviable, but in a grander stage than EU LCS, you run the risk of the early leads you’re giving away becoming too big for you to handle. Simultaneously, if left completely unattended, PerkZ and Trick can wreak havoc all over the enemy team’s jungler and nullify them from the game post 15 minutes.

Conclusion: A lot of G2’s success at MSI will rely on Trick. If he doesn’t get punished for his actions, his team will be able to capitalize and eventually grind out a win. Emperor has proven his worth as an ADC and has become a reliable damage source even if slightly behind. PerkZ has had a fantastic first split for a rookie and will have quite possibly the hardest task in front of his young career, facing off against the likes of Xiaohu, Maple and, of course, the toughest test of them all, Faker.

Connect with the author at @HeckMaister.

Images courtesy of Riot Games / Lolesports.