by G2 Esports concluded their roller coaster ride in the League of Legends (LEC) EMEA Championship Summer Playoffs with a triumphant 3-0 victory over Fnatic in the grand final, walking away as the champions with smiles on their faces.
Despite a loss to Fnatic on July 22 in the upper bracket final, G2 came into the grand final determined to prove they remain the top team in Europe.
In a series that kept fans on the edge of their seats, G2 emerged victorious, securing the LEC Summer trophy in a win that was more convincing in scoreline than in gameplay.
?? @G2LEAGUE ARE THE 2024 #LEC SUMMER CHAMPIONS ?? pic.twitter.com/2u3cFMKcgx
— LEC (@LEC) July 28, 2024
The stage in Berlin was set for yet another European classic to close out the summer playoffs.
G2 had displayed a shaky performance against Team BDS the day before but managed to secure a win through sheer determination.
In the grand final, G2 faced Fnatic, who had taken a 5k gold and 2 dragon lead in the opening game.
However, G2 capitalised on a pivotal moment, stopping Fnatic from taking Baron and winning a crucial team fight thanks to a double kill by Rasmus “Caps” Winther on Corki.
This led to G2 claiming the Baron and eventually taking Game 1.
Game 2 saw Fnatic once again take an early lead of 5k gold and 2 dragons, but G2 turned the tide with another pivotal team fight around the Baron pit.
Leveraging this momentum, G2 closed out the game.
Facing a 0-2 deficit, Fnatic needed a reverse sweep to claim the trophy.
They dominated the early game in Game 3, securing a 7k gold lead only 13 minutes in.
Yet, G2’s individual prowess shone through as they secured consecutive picks on Fnatic, leading to a Baron take and a series of victorious team fights that won them the game, series, and season.
G2’s victory in the summer season means the team closes the year with a perfect record in Europe, having won the winter and spring splits as well.
This triumph also makes G2 the first European team to qualify for the 2024 League of Legends World Championship, set to take place in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom later this year.
Caps and his team successfully recovered from an upper bracket setback to maintain their incredible streak in the LEC.
Despite a spirited challenge from Fnatic, who defied expectations by bulldozing their way through the playoffs after a fourth-place finish in the regular season, G2 proved their dominance once again.
G2’s Steven “Hans Sama” Liv ended the series with a monstrous 18/3/16 KDA, showcasing his prowess despite Fnatic’s efforts to shut him down.
The LEC Summer split grand final between G2 and Fnatic recorded a peak of 417,113 viewers, according to Esports Charts.
This figure represents an increase from the 2023 Summer peak of 343,576, though it falls short of the Winter (830,816) and Spring (593,554) peaks of this year.
Despite the improvement, viewership has declined split-on-split, a trend attributed to the LEC’s format restructure and the immense popularity of streamer-led teams MAD Lions KOI and Karmine Corp.
G2’s victory against Fnatic, marked by thrilling comebacks and dominant performances, solidifies their status as the final boss of European League of Legends.
Fans are eagerly anticipating G2’s performance on the international stage at the World Championship, where they will face off against the best teams from around the globe.
