G2 Yike on their ability to make a comeback: "Caps is very insane at controlling the game"

G2 came into 2024 ready to dominate the LEC, and last Sunday (July 28th), following their sweep of Fnatic in the Summer Finals, they did just that.

Becoming the first European team to qualify for the 2024 League of Legends World Championship, G2 has won all 3 LEC titles this year. Now, their eyes are set on the LEC Season Finals to complete their European supremacy.

Coming off a fresh, and all-important, victory against Fnatic in the LEC Summer Grand Finals, Strafe Esports had the exclusive opportunity of sitting down with G2's jungler Martin "Yike" Sundelin. During this insightful interview, Yike had the chance to go into detail about the team's early-game struggles, what allows them to come back in games so often, and what the team's confidence, as well as his own, is looking like coming into Season Finals.

Exercising revenge against Fnatic

G2 came into the LEC Summer Finals having lost in the Upper Bracket Finals just a few days earlier against Fnatic. In what was a grueling 5-game series, Fnatic walked away with a 3-2 victory in the end, ending G2's streak of almost 3 years undefeated in best-of-5 series against Fnatic.

For G2, the Grand Finals meant more than taking home the LEC Summer title and qualifying for Worlds. This game was personal.

[Interviewer] Were you surprised with the 3-0 win, Yike, or were you expecting it?

"I can't say I was expecting a 3-0. I think we for sure had not been playing that insane these playoffs, and Fnatic looked good, you know, they beat us last time. So, I thought it was gonna be closer, maybe like 3-1, but, they did have some good games, but I think we just played better late-game and then we just won."

[Interviewer] Can I ask, how was the mood within the team following your loss against Fnatic on Monday?

"For sure everyone was a bit mad, sad. I think we were also disappointed in ourselves, cause usually we should be winning this. And for sure everyone's gotta be talking "oh, Fnatic is better than G2 now". So, we for sure wanted a lot of revenge, and that's why I was happy we won against BDS so we can actually stomp Fnatic this time, which I wouldn't say we stomped them, but we 3-0'd them. So, that was nice."

No easy feat

Despite G2 clean-sweeping Fnatic in the Grand Finals, the 3-0 victory was anything but clean, as the team struggled and fell behind early in all 3 games. G2 fans would agree that this worrying trend was present all throughout the Summer Playoffs.

[Interviewer] You guys have actually had to pull off a lot of comebacks in these playoffs. What do you think it is about G2 that allows you guys to come back in games?

"I must say it's probably our macro, mid-game and late-game. I think Caps is very, very insane at just controlling the game, knowing where we should be, where we should go. He's, like, always calling us to come over here, help here, go there. He's very good at kinda micro-controlling people.

But also I think we're also good at just listening to each other and just making good plans. I think everyone is good at making a plan, and we're very creative as well, and I think that really helps us at making a comeback."

[Interviewer] So, my next questions would be, what do you think you guys should be doing differently in order to avoid falling behind early?

"I mean, for sure today I think we drafted a bit to kinda fall behind. And we had the Ornn games, played Sejuani into Zyra one game, and Brand into Zyra. And Zyra should be kinda winning that, or at least get ahead. And, I don't remember the bot match-up, but I think we were getting pushed in in both top and bot.

So, for sure if they want to they should be getting ahead early. And I think they played good at getting ahead early. I think the problem for them was to snowball it mid-late game. I think a lot of teams in EU are bad at snowballing right now, and that's probably why we won."

High on confidence

G2 has not let its bumpy road over the course of these Summer Playoffs affect their confidence in the slightest. Coming off a 4th consecutive LEC Season triumph, the team, and Yike, still know who the players to beat are in Europe.

[Interviewer] How's the team's confidence coming into Season Finals? Do you think you guys are the favorites?

"I mean, for sure I'll say we're the favorites. I think we're looking good. I think we're not insane right now. We still have to improve in a lot of stuff. But, overall, I think we're probably the best team coming into Season Finals, and I think we're all excited." 

[Interviewer] I wanted to know, how do you feel about this AP jungler meta? Do you enjoy it? Or are you kind of just looking forward to it ending?

"I will say I enjoy it. I always liked the AP jungler. They're, like, the carry junglers to know. Lilia, for example, is one of my favorite champs. Sadly, I couldn't play her this split, but maybe for next time.

So, I really like AP junglers. I think I am good at Brand and Zyra. Some of the games I guess we were kinda even so nothing really happened, but I felt like I had good control in those games. So, I was happy."

[Interviewer] Do you think there are any junglers in Europe who are not suited to this meta?

"I mean, for sure. I don't think it's just junglers. Like Karmine Corp, for example. I think Closer was not playing that much AP junglers, he was playing more tanks like Maokai, Sejuani, Vi. And I wouldn't say that's on him. I think he's actually good on carry champs. I know his Viego and Lee Sin are very good.

Don't know so much about the AP junglers, but I'm pretty sure he can still pull it off. I think it's just the way they want to draft, the way they want to play the game. So, some teams just can't really play around it, you know? I think Fnatic and G2 are really good at doing that."

[Interviewer] Ever since you came into the league, I believe you've won every single LEC season you've played in, except for one, the spring of last year. With that in mind, would you say that you're the best jungler in Europe right now?

"It's hard to say right now. I think that today, for example, I don't think that I was much better than Razork. I think we were kinda even. I think Razork is for sure the second best jungler I would say, like, for sure. I think he's playing insane right now, and it's always a clash between us two, you know?

People saying he's good, people saying I'm good. So, I mean, now, for my confidence I would always say that I'm the best. Like, I want to always believe that I'm the best jungler, best player, you know?

That's what I want to believe because when I believe something like that I think I will perform like that as well. Because I want to be the best in the world, you know? And then I need to have high expectations."

Following their victory in the LEC Summer Season, and despite the fact that they are already qualified for Worlds, G2 do not look ready to slow down any time soon.

Never short of focus, G2's eyes are now set on taking home the LEC Season Finals trophy to continue their domination over the rest of Europe.

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Image source: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games

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