G2 Esports are heading into another expected year of dominance in the LEC, and having won every title in the region, the next step is returning to international glory. Rasmus “Caps” Borregaard Winther has been there through the highs and the lows. From claiming G2’s first international title to crashing out against North America’s NRG, the veteran mid-laner has seen it all with G2.
Coming off the back of another disappointing World Championship run in October, the organization brought in fresh faces to get the organization back on track. In comes Rudy “SkewMond” Semaan, a young jungler from Europe’s development scene, and Labros “Labrov” Papoutsakis, a highly touted support player looking to unlock his potential. In an exclusive interview with Dot Esports, Caps detailed how these new players will define the future, how they have been doing in practice, and the overall practice quality of Europe.
G2 debuted the new roster at the 2024 Red Bull League of its Own event on Dec. 15, 2024. This was an opportunity for G2 to see their level with the new players and how they would react to such a stage. Unfortunately, G2 fell to Karmine Corp in one of two competitive matches. Caps detailed how the new players have been adapting to their new org. “Labrov and SkewMond have been fitting in very well,” Caps said following their match. “They’re very eager to learn, and they’re very driven, it feels like they really want to grind it out. I have a lot of respect for that.”
Although Caps highlighted the new players have been fitting in well, SkewMond and Labrov were not able to put on a solid display in their competitive match against Karmine Corp. SkewMond, in particular, struggled to keep up with Karmine Corp’s pace, which can be excused given he lacks experience playing against tier-one opposition. The team lacked coordination, and KC simply ran them over.
Although the new players didn’t achieve the desired result or performance, they gained valuable enough experience to take with them to their new team.
A team can become complacent when they’re together for so long, as was the case with the previous G2 roster. Being comfortable with the same system, tactics, and ideas can often lead to stagnation in development. Caps highlighted this as a key reason for the change in players, a “fresh start” so to speak. “We built a lot of things in the last two years, and I think we want to catch them up to what we think is good,” the mid laner said. “We want to also get their input because we don’t want them to just fit into our puzzle; we want them to expand on it.”
Even the idea of a new beginning can significantly improve a team. This trait is seen among the best sports teams, even when they are on top. During Manchester United’s period of dominance in the 2000s, they would replenish the dressing room with a couple of signings that fit the mold rather than break down a winning formula and start fresh.
As Caps mentioned, he wants their new players to expand on an already winning formula domestically; this is important as the best teams need to continuously progress and find new and creative ways to stay on top. “We were mostly on the same page last year and have had a lot of the same discussions now. I think with the new guys joining, we are getting some new talks with new perspectives on new ideas. And with them having been on two different teams, we can see how they like to do it.”
Caps and G2 are setting their sights firmly on international glory. They’ve been to the top of the mountain before with a Worlds final appearance in 2019, but that was built off the back of two very strong teams, with Fnatic pushing G2 all the way. In recent times, there has hardly been a time where G2 has been tested enough domestically to prepare them for international competition.
While some believed the lack of competition was a hindrance, Caps had a slightly different way of thinking about it. “I think you can always learn stuff. And I think that last year we had a lot of periods of really learning a lot, regardless of who we played against. For sure, it’s easier if you have strong opponents to do well, right? That’s a certainty.”
Caps holds himself and his team accountable rather than simply blaming poor practice for their international failures. This shows how far he has come as a veteran of the game and is a prime example of a player making the most of an uncomfortable situation.
Caps elaborated on his idea that teams can still have valuable practice even if the games are a one-sided blowout. “Even if you play games that are maybe more one-sided, you can get as much out of it as your own.” It’s about having the discipline to be critical when the games feel too easy. “We need to just keep ourselves more accountable and still do all the steps to be more harsh to ourselves and you know when we’re doing these things wrong etc. For a big part of last year, we did that. I think towards the end, we dropped the ball. And it’s for sure not easy. So we will have to find a way to keep our motivation a bit higher.”
G2 and Caps kickstart their LEC campaign on Jan. 18, where they will have the chance to earn immediate redemption as they take on Karmine Corp once again in the final game of day one.
Published: Jan 7, 2025 06:50 am