en
G2 Esports vs FlyQuest: EU and NA Battle for a Spot in Quarterfinals at Worlds 2025
Whenever EU and NA battle on the international stage, the Western world stops to watch. This time, G2 Esports and FlyQuest will take each other on in the Swiss Stage of Worlds 2025 with a playoff spot on the line, and a whole lot of bragging rights.
For G2, this is about revenge and the chance to become an international threat once more. For FlyQuest, it's about proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are a cut above all their Western competition.
Let's go over everything you need to know before the reigning LEC and LTA champions clash this Wednesday, October 22nd.
G2 Seek Revenge for MSI
Historically, G2 have been the most dominant team in Europe. For all their past glory, domestically as well as internationally, 2025 didn't kick off on a great note for them. G2 showed up to the start of the year with a brand new roster, hoping to become a real threat on the international stage.
The move, however, proved costly initially, as G2 lost their first LEC title in seven splits to start the year, missing out on the inaugural edition of First Stand in the process. The team looked to be turning a page during the Spring Split, managing to qualify for MSI. The international stage, however, was not kind to G2's new roster.
The team left Canadian soil after winning just one game at the tournament. And the worst part? Their elimination from MSI came in the shape of a clean sweep at the hands of none other than FlyQuest, the very team that stands between them and a Worlds Quarterfinals spot now.
Make no mistake, G2 have improved tremendously since the last time the two squads met, even winning the LEC Summer Split in convincing fashion. FLY, however, have not slowed down in the slightest. Whether G2 have leveled up enough to put up a better showing against their North American rivals than they did last time around, though, remains to be seen.
FlyQuest Run the West
There is no doubt about it, FlyQuest come into the match as the undisputed best team in the West. After a fantastic run at last year's Worlds, where the team came oh-so-close to taking down a dominant Gen.G in the Quarterfinals, FLY is proving to be even hungrier in 2025.
Like G2, FLY missed First Stand after catching an early bump on the road to start the year. From then on, FLY have been simply unstoppable domestically. Ever since May, FLY have put up a whopping 44-9 domestic record while winning every LTA trophy that was up for grabs.
Internationally, however, FLY still need to prove another level to their game. Despite their dominant victory over G2 at MSI, FLY have not been able to measure up to the Eastern teams, showing there's still plenty of room for growth.
At Worlds, there's no denying FLY have had an easier path than G2 thus far. After the way their last clash went, though, it's G2 who need to prove they are ready to make Europe proud this time around.
Key Matchup: Inspired vs SkewMond
When Inspired and SkewMond take the stage this Wednesday, Beijing will witness a clash between two of the best Western Junglers of the moment. The two players, however, show up to this match at very different stages in their careers, potentially making this the most important matchup on the Rift.
In the build-up to Worlds, SkewMond was capping off his debut year with his very first LEC title, and his first Finals MVP award to boot. Inspired, meanwhile, has been competing at the highest level for six years now, earning himself multiple MVP titles in two separate leagues (LEC and LCS/LTA) as well as countless trophies.
That said, despite coming into the tournament as one of the best Junglers in the world, Inspired has struggled to control games the way he's used to so far at Worlds. SkewMond, on the other hand, has undeniably been on the rise after a slow start to the year, looking more and more comfortable as he continues to develop synergy with Caps and the rest of the squad.
With Quarterfinals on the line, though, the heat is turning up at Worlds, providing the perfect opportunity for Inspired to make the most of his experience and put his rookie rival on the back foot from early on. It's worth noting that the last time these two teams met, Inspired dominated the series, finishing with a total KDA of 20/2/20.
If Inspired can turn the pressure up in the Jungle once more, there's just no telling how SkewMond might react, potentially causing G2's entire gameplan to fall apart. If SkewMond withstands the heat, though, G2's dynamism might prove too much for FlyQuest to handle.
For the G2 Jungler, the Worlds knockout stage represents entirely new ground. For Inspired, it represents a chance at redemption. The question is, will he be there to seize it?
Prediction: Who Is Heading to Playoffs?
G2 are about as unpredictable a team as they come. That makes predicting the outcome of their games a difficult task no matter the rivals. If G2 throw a spanner in the works during the draft (like they did against BLG), they may just catch FlyQuest off guard. That said, this match will be a Bo3, meaning there's a little more room for error.
For all of G2's growth throughout the year, FLY are the more solid team coming into this match. Inspired's presence in the jungle has proven invaluable for this team, and unless SkewMond is able to feed off of Caps' experience, he may find it hard to keep up with a player that has proven he can go toe-to-toe with the best in the world.
Prediction: This should not be an easy match by any means, but we expect FlyQuest to win 2-1 in the end.
Despite their track record, though, our voters believe in G2, with 74% of the Strafe fan votes picking the European squad to win the match.
Ready to find out who the first Western team in playoffs at Worlds 2025 will be? Tune in to catch G2 Esports vs FlyQuest in high-stakes clash on Wednesday, October 22nd!
Follow Strafe Esports for all the latest League news and our X account for the latest content and coverage. Also, stay tuned to Strafe YouTube for exclusive interviews, press conferences, and more.
Featured image credit: Liu YiCun/Riot Games
Read more:
Worlds 2025 Swiss Stage: Round 4 Draw and Schedule
No Golden Road: Los Ratones Handed Crushing Loss in EMEA Masters Summer