LEC winner G2 Mikyx – “I’m not too happy about how we played”

Following our resounding 3-0 victory against perennial rivals Fnatic, I’m thrilled to announce that G2 Esports has clinched our fifth straight Split Playoffs triumph! Just moments after the exciting match, I had the pleasure of sitting down with esports.gg for a heart-to-heart chat.

In the regular season, it appears that G2 Esports are unstoppable, even when Fnatic manages to accumulate significant gold advantages early in each of their three games. However, Fnatic continually came up short at converting these leads into victories. During these instances, a disorganized and indecisive Fnatic was exploited harshly by G2 for questionable decisions and engagements. Following the matches, Mikyx shared his thoughts on the series, expressing some reservations about their win, among other topics.

LEC Summer Split 2024 champion G2 Mikyx interview

Hey Miky! Following our swift set of games, I wanted to extend my heartfelt congratulations on your recent victory. Now that we’ve reached this point, can you share your thoughts on how your team has been doing in the playoffs overall?

“Following the conclusion of the series, my feelings are somewhat complex. I’m relieved that we managed to secure the win and did so relatively swiftly. However, I can’t help but feel a sense of dissatisfaction with our overall performance, as well as my own play. It seems reminiscent of the Mad Lions series where I found myself dying frequently.”

While I didn’t fair as well this time, it seems like I avoided getting caught as severely. It was mostly due to my mistakes in lane and similar individual issues. I feel a mix of regret but not as intense as before. Regarding our performance, we encountered some difficulties, perhaps because we weren’t clear about our objectives during that patch, which reflected negatively in our last three series, I believe.

As someone who has spent countless hours pouring over complex problems, I must say that we’ve finally managed to crack the code, but it’s still a bit of a rough fit. I’m eagerly anticipating the upcoming updates, hoping that they will allow us to smooth out the kinks a little better. And now that we’re bound for Worlds, I can breathe a sigh of relief, as the last week has been an emotional rollercoaster. The tension was palpable, and I can’t help but feel a sense of relief and excitement at the prospect of putting it all behind us.

Is your highly valued aspect of things less stressful during the Season Finals, knowing that you can focus solely on the World Championship without worrying about the outcome of the Finals?

Absolutely, I agree. For professional players, the ultimate aim is to conquer Worlds. Following a year where you’ve already participated in Worlds and didn’t win, it becomes a matter of enduring another year to get another opportunity. It feels like a period of waiting to return and perform better this time. This year, I believe we have a stronger chance compared to last year. I’m eagerly anticipating the prospect.

Mikyx thinks Support meta is “extreme”

I recently had a conversation with Nightshare, Fnatic’s coach, regarding the unpredictability of the current game meta, a topic that many professionals have brought up. He expressed particular concerns about the state of the Support role, specifically mentioning that supports are often found carrying one item, Warmog’s, hoping not to be eliminated quickly so they can recover their health and contribute effectively. What are your thoughts on the post-midseason meta?

“I’m quite certain Warmog’s is rather powerful, but it seems the role of a support hasn’t transformed significantly. The focus appears to be more on the mid and jungle roles, where AP junglers are exceptionally strong, and AD champions in the mid lane are also performing well on this patch. As a result, everyone tends to prioritize these roles, and everyone else needs to adapt accordingly. It often turns out that you need tank engage supports with AP junglers to create a robust frontline.”

But it also happens that those AP junglers can also one-shot the supports because they do percentage max health. Your job is just to throw your spells, stay in front, block spells from enemies, and hope your team does more damage. So I guess it’s a bit extreme in that regard, but it’s always similar when there are front-to-back comps, these fights will happen. But yeah, I think this version is a lot more extreme than others.” 

Could you share some adjustments you’re considering for your strategy in dealing with the meta on a particular update? Earlier, there seemed to be uncertainty about the direction for this patch. Can you explain how you addressed this issue and discuss the challenges that contributed to the confusion?

In essence, there wasn’t any single character on our map that appeared significantly overpowered. This made it a matter of team preference as to which champion they wanted to play. Our strategy, in turn, was flexible and changed daily, depending on what we chose to prioritize. One day we might opt for AP junglers against tank junglers, and the next day we could go with tank junglers against AP junglers. We frequently switched our approach.

As someone who has spent countless hours pouring over strategy games and battling it out with friends, I understand the struggle of deciding on a winning side in a draft. It can be a tricky process, especially when everyone has their own preferences and biases. In my experience, I’ve found that picking sides without a clear understanding of each option’s strengths and weaknesses can lead to awkward situations, where one side may seem stronger but ultimately falls short due to lack of preparation or foresight.

It seems to me that we might benefit from exploring a wider range of champions, focusing on their unique strengths, styles, and interactions with other champions’ kits. Instead of merely imitating other regions, we should strive for originality. Unfortunately, our choices haven’t been consistently effective or consistent in determining the ultimate winners.

“Initially, Sejuani was frequently picked in games but they tended to lose. On the other hand, Leona was chosen a lot at the beginning with a 30% win rate now, which suggests that players have stopped using her. Similarly, Zyra is also popular, but the overall winner in matches seems unpredictable, often featuring Brand or Zyra matchups.”

Mikyx breaks from G2, wants Bilgewater for Arcane

Well now, as someone who’s been deeply entrenched in the world of Runterra for quite some time, I gotta say, if I had the chance to pick a new region for Arcane Season 3, it’d be hard to beat the mystical allure of Shurima. The vast desert landscapes, ancient ruins, and powerful sun discs have always captured my imagination.

As a long-time League of Legends enthusiast with a soft spot for unique and action-packed champions, I find myself drawn to the Bilgewater region. The allure of Pyke, who battles monstrous creatures of the deep, is irresistible. His tale seems like it could have been ripped straight from my own seafaring adventures!

I think you’re the first Bilgewater answer from LEC, nice!

“Freljord and Shurima is too mainstream, but it’d be cool though. I think any of them are cool, honestly. I like Freljord, I like Shurima, but thinking about it a bit more, I can’t give the same answer. And I also like Bilgewater. Yeah. “

Any quick words for fans as you set your sights on Finals and Worlds?

As a loyal fan, I want to express my gratitude for your unwavering support throughout our challenging times. To those who didn’t abandon hope in us, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I truly believe that during the Season Finals, we can work towards regaining your trust. By fine-tuning our act a bit more and delivering cleaner performances, especially for myself, I hope to impress you all once again.

Over the past couple of days, I’ve been a bit unkempt. To put it mildly, things could probably be cleaner. However, I’m trying to find the silver lining here – at least my situation isn’t getting any worse. On a brighter note, I’m really excited for Worlds! I have high hopes that we’ll accomplish some amazing feats over there.

Mikyx and G2 have guaranteed their place at the 2024 World Championship and will make a comeback for the LEC Playoffs Finals, standing tall as the top contenders following a week-long hiatus.