While fans are eagerly awaiting the return of LEC competitive play next week, G2 Esports general manager Romain Bigeard opened up about how the League of Legends offseason went for the organization in a recent L’Equipe broadcast.
He notably explained how the team signed French bot laner Hans Sama after he returned from his disastrous LCS season with Team Liquid.
Related: The 2023 LEC Winter Season format, explained
“We had to switch the bot laner because [Flakked] had reached his limits in international play. So we did everything we could to get Hans Sama. We already spoke with him the year before,” Bigeard said. “Then, he returned from this horrible season. He topped Europe’s solo queue in a few weeks, and then reached top 20 on the Korean server. He’s not ‘washed-up’ nor near retirement at all, as some people commented.”
Hans Sama was a highly sought-after talent in Europe and reportedly spoke with a lot of organizations during the offseason. Reports suggested he spoke with MAD Lions, SK Gaming, and others before joining G2, so the organization was facing fierce competition.
But his signing with G2 ultimately came down to one wish of his own: to play with veteran support Mikyx. “It was a requirement for him to join us,” Bigeard said. “He has nothing against Targamas, but he had good memories with Mikyx, and they saw each other a lot in solo queue. They reunited a lot in terms of playstyle.”
Hans Sama and Mikyx were teammates back in the 2018 EU LCS when they both played under Misfits Gaming. The next season, Mikyx joined G2 and was replaced by the LCK’s GorillA.
“We weighed the pros and cons and he wanted Mikyx, so we regrettably had to part ways with Targamas,” Bigeard said. “But my priority was for the bot laner to be comfortable, so that’s what we did.”
Targamas and Mikyx ultimately switched teams, with the 22-year-old joining Excel alongside a nearly fully-revamped roster of veterans mixed with young talent for the 2023 season.
G2, on the other hand, signed top LFL jungler Yike as its “last piece,” according to Bigeard. The manager described him as an outstanding rookie and said he showed promise, uplifting the overall team atmosphere.
He’ll be playing alongside four veterans in the 2023 LEC Winter Season, where they’ll play Excel in their first match on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 11am CT.
