Will G2 Esports finally lose at Lvl Clash 2?

G2 esports recently secured their 4^th back to back (and 6th) title after claiming the spot at Allied Esports Odyssey. They are now arguably the best team in Europe with 4 B-tier and one A-tier tournament wins.

G2 managed to create a winning roster from the get go, and dominated the opening season of Valorant. Their recent performance however raises questions about potential challengers for the crown.

© G2 Esports

Recent “slump”

G2’s recent win went against all odds having struggled in the groups stage with numerous close calls which had placed the team 3^rd out of six teams. The slump almost got them as  G2 almost never got to the finals having matched against the FunPlus Phoenix on their first game out of groups.

FPX gave G2 a real challenge, almost bringing the map to overtime from a near clutch in round 23.

Next matched against Team Liquid, G2 were able to get a massive early lead on the defenders side at Split, 9-2. However, TL almost brought it back, rebounding 9-7 before Mixwell showed up with an amazing 4K. This allowed G2 to fix their economy and get decent buys, paving their way to the win 13-9. Going into the finals, G2 were pitted against their rivals FPX once again.

The squad completely dominated the first game in Ascent, finishing the game quickly 13-5. The second game saw FPX get an early lead, 7-4 at one point. Eventually, G2 once again bounced back and took the tournament W.

The next step for G2 Esports in the “Lvl Clash 2”, starting on the 28^th of August. If they win the last Ignition Series event of the summer, they are truly the one and only king of Europe. However, based on their recent performance The Lvl Clash 2 might be the tournament where G2’s win streak is broken. Especially considering the few known invitees in BIG, Team Liquid and Ninjas in Pyjamas.

Lack of challengers

G2’s core tactic when constructing rosters is to have one foundational star in their roster. Be it Perkz in League of Legends or KennyS in CS:GO, G2 always finds a single player that is the anchor around which the team revolves around. Oscar “mixwell” Colocho was G2’s foundational choice to build their Valorant roster around.

After scouting intensely, G2 settled with Patryk “paTiTek” Fabrowski, Jacob “pyth” Mourujärvi and Ardis “ardiis” Svarenieks. The final player David “Davidp” Prins was signed nearly 200 games and a month and a half later. We anticipated the signing last time we wrote about G2, as the team already showed great geling from the get go.

The entire roster is consisted of former CS:GO players who GELed really well with call-outs and game mechanics. Yet, by creating said “super team”, G2 might have hindered their own growth. There is currently no challenger for the team in Europe. Yes, Liquid and FPX might take a map away, but overall G2 reigns completely supreme.

With the pandemic situation not improving and international competition nowhere in sight, we might witness the best team in Europe lose only because the opponents finally study them hard enough.

Play Intensely and Play Everything

The G2 roster is playing alooot of Valorant. If you are part of the G2 Discord or have watched any of the player streams, you’d notice the amount of time players dedicate to perfecting their craft. The guys are playing on average at least 6 hours a day of Valorant. This is apart from official matches or closed scrims, meaning the numbers are likely higher.

Yet, most of that play is against the same opponents at the top levels of EU competition without any diversity in opposition. Furthermore, there’s a lot of fan pandering and side activities that are costing the squad valuable practice time. Meanwhile, the three likely challengers in Europe in Giants, Liquid and FPX are hard at work studying every single previous play. For now, G2 are the best team in Europe.

This might all change next weekend when Lvl Clash 2 comes along. If there’s ever a time for Valorant betting against G2, it’s next weekend.

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