G2 is the first LEC team to reach Worlds quarterfinals since 2022

Yes, it has been that long! With their win against FlyQuest, G2 is now qualified for the 2025 LoL Worlds knockout stage. The last time an LEC team had achieved this was Rogue in 2022. Here’s a look at this history and how G2 managed to qualify.

The LEC’s awful recent track record against NA teams

FlyQuest and G2 faced off in round 4 of the LoL Worlds 2025 Swiss stage. This was the third time that G2 found itself in the 2-1 bracket. Both times, they lost, and then faced a tournament favorite in the 2-2 stage.

G2’s earlier encounter with FlyQuest did not bode well for Europe either. At MSI 2025, NA’s first seed took that series in a resounding 3-0. In fact, Europe has had an abysmal record against NA since the start of 2023, only coming out on top in one of their seven encounters. It was a lone Bo3 between Fnatic and Cloud9 at Worlds 2023 that stood in the way of a perfect record for the LCS. Speaking with Jaxon.gg, G2 Labrov said “it would be nice to see if we can take our revenge at Worlds.”

• Don’t miss our LoL Worlds Swiss stage predictions

G2’s victory over FlyQuest, Game by Game

Game 1

So, this time, we enter game 1 of the match with a forecast of gloom for European fans. Caps gets a first blood solo kill on Quad, but Busio makes him pay for it seconds later. Meanwhile, on the side lanes, G2 predicts FLY’s lane swap and sends their Caitlyn to match Corki. This leads to Hans Sama getting a massive lead as a result.

But that’s about all the positive news that G2 would get this game. After being behind for the first 5 minutes, FlyQuest demonstrated superior control all game long. They played safely, focusing on punishing G2’s mistakes, and only took objectives that looked safe. If a contest seemed risky, they forewent it to instead trade somewhere else.

Image Source: Yicun Liu / Riot Games

G2 displayed no such discipline, and repeatedly gave advantages by making bad contests and taking unnecessary fights. And as FlyQuest took the Nexus in 38 minutes, the series started to look like a repeat of MSI.

Game 2

In game 2, G2 flipped the script and went for a completely different game plan. This time, playing Trundle, Skewmond was back on a jungler with agency like he had played all split long. And he didn’t wait to show his impact. With a gank bot, then a double gank top, he unlocked the whole map. The fights always still remained scary for G2 with Busio’s Soraka making FlyQuest unkillable, but they had the agency and slowly built their lead.

The game remained close, until FLY was forced to take bad engages just to try something. G2’s lead then ballooned, and Europe punched back for game 2.

Game 3

The deciding game of the series was a mess. Bwipo earned a massive lead, then mismanaged it. G2 went for every fight, good or bad, with matching results.

Eventually, a fight at Atakhan set G2 well ahead. They still couldn’t hold their lead, and FlyQuest grabbed two Barons in return. But more bad engages followed, and G2 clutched one final teamfight off the back of a 4-man shockwave delivered by Skewmond. And with that, G2 got their revenge for MSI and locked in their spot in the Quarterfinals.

The LEC’s history at Worlds

The LEC has had good days and glory days. Until recently, not putting a single team into the Worlds playoffs was an awful low and the reason why we pretend 2014 never happened. 2018 and 2019 were exceptionally good, and 2015 and 2020 were great too. But the “off years” still meant having one team in quarters, and potentially put up a solid fight, too.

Until 2023, when every team from the LEC got eliminated in the Swiss stage. Fnatic and G2 at least got close, finishing 2-3 and looking competitive in the process.

Image Source: Colin Young-Wolff / Riot Games

But this only turned worse in 2024. The European teams pursued the dry spell, while looking worse, even. With how the 2025 MSI went for them, hope was dwindling further yet.

G2’s qualification finally rekindles that hope.

Europe’s hopes?

G2 has never lost in quarterfinals. They either didn’t make it past the first stage, or reached semis or finals. In 2018, 2019, and 2020, whether they looked shaky, alright, or incredible, they made it past quarters.

Well, this year is looking like it’ll be a first for that.

G2 does not look great. Neither did the three teams they beat. They’re outclassed by the teams that have already qualified, and don’t look to be favorites against many of the other potential quarterfinals contenders – if any.

Then again, G2 always, always fares better in the playoffs than during the rest of the event. That applies regionally just as well as internationally. Even when they won MSI in 2019, they had gone 5-5 in groups. They have solid strategies in Bo5s, and Fearless has only added to that. So they’ll have better chances now than they did in the Swiss stage.

Better chances. But still not high ones. Europe will most likely have to wait another year for a better finisher than top 8.

Stick around for more coverage of LoL Worlds as it unfolds!

Featured Image Source: Colin Young-Wolff / Riot Games