After a 12-game winning streak, G2 raise the cup for the ninth time
LEC Playoff | G2 Esports Win LEC Finals in a 3-0 Sweep Versus Rogue
G2 Esports made short work of Rogue in the LEC 2022 Spring Season grand finals, winning yet another 3-0 series after an amazing performance by mid laner Rasmus "caPs" Winther.
After three weeks of games, the LEC playoffs culminated in a showdown between Rogue and G2 Esports. Rogue earned their spot in the upper bracket by defeating regular season sensation Misfits Gaming the pre-season favorites Fnatic. G2 Esports lost their opening bout against the same Fnatic before going on a tear in the losers' bracket, securing 3-0 victories against Team Vitality, Misfits Gaming and then sweeping Fnatic in the semifinal. Would Rogue crown their split with their first ever LEC title, or would G2's reinvigorated team lift the trophy on their first season together?
Why Does CaPs Still Get Ahri?
CaPs started the series well, getting two early kills. G2 denied Rogue their usual strong early game by tracking jungler Kim "Malrang" Geun-seong well. As the game progressed, G2's better mobility proved the difference maker. In the mid lane, caPs' Ahri remained untouchable and bailed the team out in several tricky fights. Their early game dragon lead resulted in a mountain soul and with it and the eventual Baron, G2 were unstoppable. A flank in the bottom lane resulted in a 3-0 fight in their favor and they easily secured first blood in the series.
The Sweet, Sweet Package Play
Rogue faced a similar situation in the second game, staying close in the early game only to start falling behind once teamfights started. G2 exploited their opponents' limited engage, using poke and map presence to dominate the neutral objectives. Rogue retaliated by sneaking an early Baron, but while they secured it in the face of Marcin "Jankos" Jankowski and even killed him, they paid for it with three deaths. In the decisive fight at the dragon at the 26-minute mark, caPs once more came up clutch, turning what looked to be a close fight into an ace as he preempted a Rogue engage with his Corki's package. Once more wearing the mountain soul, G2 secured the next Baron and broke into Rogue's base to take the second win of the series.
Rogue's Comeback is Denied
Once more, Rogue had to dig deep down and try to get a reverse sweep. In the third game, they found the perfect start, getting several early kills and shutting down Victor "Flakked" Lirola's Xayah. However, that aggression did cause them to overextend several times and G2 managed to keep the game from snowballing. Once more caPs on Ahri managed to hold the line, getting several early kills despite a 1/2 start. 21 minutes into the game, Rogue overcommitted to kill him and in the sea of low health bars Raphaël "Targamas" Crabbé's' Pyke scored a triple kill that cleared the way for an early Baron. With it and a 4-0 fight a minute later, G2 took over the game. Rogue defended themselves well, but G2's attack was merciless. Eventually, all inhibitors were down and G2 pushed down the mid lane. Rogue assassinated Jankos, but it was not enough and they found themselves routed, having to watch their Nexus explode for the third time this series.
It has been a show of force for the LEC champions, who went through the lower bracket without losing a single game and, after a 12-0 run, once more raise the LEC cup. Once more, Rogue reach finals only to be defeated there, but no one can argue that G2's victory was well-earned. Now, they need to prepare for the Mid-Season Invitational - and a Faker eager to avenge T1's defeat the last time these teams met at an international tournament.
Read More:
- LEC Playoff | G2 Continue Lower Bracket Run with a 3-0 against Fnatic
- LEC Playoff | Rogue Reverse Sweep Fnatic
- LEC Playoff | G2 Smash Misfits 3-0
The LEC will now go on a break, but European pro League of Legends will continue with the EU Masters tournament. The Main Event group stage kicks off on Thursday, April 14th, and it will feature the top 16 teams from the European regional leagues. Meanwhile, for more LoL news, analysis and the spiciest hot takes, make sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter!