G2 Esports is no longer the King of Europe. On Sunday evening, Karmine Corp dethroned the Samurai from the summit of the European hierarchy. The Blue Wall dismantled G2 with a resounding 3-0 victory in a one-sided final, putting an end to the German organization’s era of dominance. Just a year ago, G2 had achieved the Grand Slam by securing every domestic title—the three seasonal splits as well as the Season Finals. A perfect campaign had narrowly eluded Rasmus “Caps” Winther and his teammates in 2023, as they claimed three of the four available trophies, falling short only in the Spring Split, which was captured by MAD Lions.

Over the past two seasons, G2’s dominance has appeared absolute. At the start of 2023, the team was overwhelmingly favored on paper, and it swiftly lived up to expectations. G2 crushed MAD Lions 3-0 in the Winter Finals, then repeated the feat against Excel Esports in the Summer. In the Season Finals in Montpellier, the Samurai once again proved too strong, dispatching a powerless Fnatic 3-1. Despite a disappointing showing at Worlds, G2 opted for continuity, retaining its entire roster—an uncommon decision in the esports landscape, but one that made sense given that each player was widely regarded as the best in his position within the LEC.

Untouchable in 2024

G2 entered the 2024 season fully prepared and appeared untouchable. Finishing first in the Winter Split regular season, the team breezed through the playoffs, dispatching MAD Lions KOI 3-1 and setting the stage for what was dedicated to be a year of international triumph. Spring followed a similar script, albeit with a different finalist: Fnatic. The Black and Orange reached three finals that year, each time having an opportunity to halt G2’s march, yet they failed on every occasion. A 3-1 loss in Spring, a 3-0 rout in Summer, and another 3-1 defeat in the Season Finals left Fnatic—and the rest of Europe—with little more than scraps.

G2’s supremacy in Europe was so overwhelming that domestic success was no longer the ultimate goal; the true challenge was proving itself on the international stage. However, for the second consecutive year, the Samurai faltered in the Swiss Stage of Worlds. In 2023, the team’s campaign unraveled with an unforgivable defeat to North America’s NRG. In 2024, misfortune struck, though this time the draw itself did Dylan Falco’s squad no favors. The LEC champions, faced the LCK’s champions Hanwha Life Esports, the LPL’s champions Bilibili Gaming, and reigning world champion T1. The difficulty of their bracket was further underscored when BLG and T1 later faced off in the Worlds 2024 final, where Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok’s squad once again lifted the trophy.

Yikes

The result was an early exit for G2, eliminated in the Swiss Stage with a 2-3 record. This time, the organization quickly recognized the need for change, believing that fresh blood was necessary to break through its competitive glass ceiling. Martin “Yike” Sundelin and Mihael “Mikyx” Mehle were replaced by Rudy “SkewMond” Semaan and Labros “Labrov” Papoutsakis. Ironically, Yike found his way to Karmine Corp and played a pivotal role in G2’s downfall on Sunday evening.

This defeat not only ends G2’s stranglehold on LEC titles but also denies the team a spot at First Stand, the first international tournament of the year featuring the champions of the five major leagues. It marks the first time since 2021 that the Samurai have failed to qualify for a global event. Nevertheless, this setback may prove to be little more than a footnote if G2 reclaims its throne in the months ahead. If the team secures qualification for Worlds and achieves its broader objectives, this Winter Split loss will soon be forgotten.