Bilibili Gaming eliminate G2 Esports from Worlds 2024
Bilibili Gaming (BLG) took down G2 Esports (G2) in an incredible 3-map series, qualifying the LPL 1st seed for one of the last spots to the quarterfinals of League of Legends’ Worlds 2024. G2 failed to qualify for Top 8 after losing to Hanwha Life Esports (HLE), T1, and most recently, BLG.
Worlds 2024 has been an exciting tournament thus far, with all teams attending showing an incredible performance and unprecedented level of growth, especially from the minor regions in attendance.
However, given the meaning behind Worlds in Europe this year, the unprecedented shame of having all 10 LEC teams watch from the sidelines of Paris and London as foreign regional representatives traipse through their continent should serve as an adequate and strong incentive for the league to find greater strength next year.
BLG Narrowly Qualify - Final Life
Despite coming into Worlds 2024 as one of the favorite to take home the Summoner's Cup, BLG has struggled far more than even they themselves were expecting - losing to LNG and T1 in Bo1s that see them finally only narrowly qualifying for the Knockout Stage. Their dreams of winning Worlds is still very much alive, but they'll need to find a far more dominant form come the Knockout Stage.
A Pause Decided G2's Fate in the End?
A single technical pause called by G2's AD Carry Steven "Hans Sama" Liv may have decided the entire conclusion of the series. After an exciting Game 1 and 2, excitement was at a fever pitch in Game 3. G2 drafted a strong team-fighting composition with Tarik-Kalista in the bot lane, Xin Zhao, and Renekton - and for the first time at this Worlds, Ryze took to the stage in the hands of G2's mid laner Rasmus "Caps" Borregaard.
After a particularly bloody skirmish that saw G2 initially find 3 picks, BLG's AD Carry Zhao "Elk" Jia-Hao found 2 back on the Ezreal. However, Chen "Bin" Ze-Bin managed to escape with a sliver of health after Hans Sama's Kalista Rend seemingly failed to trigger, prompting the call for a bug check. After finding no bug to have taken place, BLG swiftly took Baron off the Chronobreak and ended the game in 34 minutes and 38 seconds.
Four Year Drought for G2 at Worlds
This defeat marks the 4th year in a row that G2 has failed to qualify for Top 8 at Worlds. In 2021, G2 didn’t even qualify for Worlds, falling just shy after losing to Fnatic in the Lower Bracket of LEC Summer.
In 2022 and 2023, G2 made it to the Swiss Stage, but were grouped, with no chance to find a repeat opportunity of their earlier successes in 2018, 2019, and 2020.
No European Team Crosses the Top 8 Threshold Once Again
For the 2nd consecutive year, the LEC has failed to see one of their representatives succeed in making it to the top 8 of Worlds. Conversely, the next series between FlyQuest and Team Liquid guarantees that for the 2nd consecutive year, the LCS will see a representative in the top 8.
This brutal reality marks the stark reality and repeated narrative that has surrounded the LEC, labeling it a league in slow decline and death. Last year, Strafe remarked on the monumental meaning behind the LEC failing to qualify, with it being nearly a decade since the last time an LEC team has failed to make the Knockout Stage.
Even the Best of the LEC Could not Translate
Fnatic and MAD Lions KOI, let’s be honest, expectations were decently high but not great. MDK was a new team in terms of talent, with 4 rookies new to Worlds in attendance. Fnatic, well, they barely beat GAM, so… (they did take a game off Weibo Gaming so there was something there).
It left it all onto G2 then, to carry the torch for the LEC and Europe, and sadly, this time again, they could not. In all three series against Eastern teams - HLE, T1, and BLG, the series was close and competitive, and G2 navigated well in the Worlds meta and draft phase. Unfortunately, pivotal mistakes at key moments, and citations from Caps on struggles dealing with the lane swap meta of this year, ended up costing G2 massively.
Conclusion
As with last year, G2 cannot continue to be the sole hope of the LEC. The immense pressure and expectations within the roster continue to fail to translate in so long as they lack following from the rest of their league’s representatives. Teams such as MDK have shown that there is viability and talent to be found in the deep depths of EMEA.
It is only a matter now of fostering said talent, and coming back strong in 2025.
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Image Credit: Riot Games
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