G2 Esports dropped a tweet with a graphic of their dominance within European League of Legends, and the numbers are extremely crazy in perspective. The team called themselves “THE MOST DOMINANT TEAM EUROPE HAS EVER SEEN”; would I agree? The graphic almost immediately dives into the explanation of their finals appearances since 2016 and how insidiously consistent they have been.
Replies and the data say that since 2016, G2 has appeared in 21 out of 25 EU finals. Well, almost all, aren’t they? Except for Summer 2018, Spring 2021, Summer 2021, and Spring 2023. However, many comments have stated that they were still placing highly in the regular season. That type of consistency for nearly a decade… is an anomaly between esports teams.
The replies, as ever, are a buffet that presents itself as priceless entertainment. You’ve got hardcore fans going tragic over particular sets of rosters, mostly about the 2019 roster that won MSI and went to Worlds finals. One person commented, “Instant tears when I see a 2019 jersey,” and honestly, “mood??” That team was an entirely different beast.
But then you have the haters; henrysammarfo came in and said, “Overrated. They got lucky with the current patch. Won’t last when other teams adapt.” Which… okay, dude?? Another responded, “And what about the winter and spring patches? Also lucky? That’s three patches of luck,” and that was just…sick. You mean to say you can’t just call multiple splittings of dominance ‘luck’ – that’s not how competitive League operates, my guy.
One of the funniest things occurring in the replies is asking “why is Jankos so small?” A lot of people commented, “Jankos so small” and “Why is @JankosLoL so small 😂?” Are we really going to focus on this?? Not historical dominance but the height of their jungler?? This is a classic League community moment.
At some point, some good discussions about imports versus native talent got thrown in. One commentator pointed out, “And most of finals without imports!!!!” Which holds quite a lot of weight in European League context. Historically, G2 has been constructed around European players, so their success is even more considerable for the region.
Nostalgia feels quite real in these comments. People started bringing up specific players, such as Wunder and Perkz, no longer with the current team but part of their best periods. “Yay say that to wunder and perkz :/” somebody says, which is… fair.
What really does set a good tone, though, is how even critics look at the numbers and can’t really deny it. One person confessed, “I have to admit their record speaks for itself. Still overrated though.” Like… pick a lane dude?? Either they’re dominant or they’re overrated, you can’t have both!
The graphic itself seems to be breaking down all their finals appearances by season, and it’s the sheer volume of those appearances that really gets people talking: realized they’ve been to 21 finals in like 8 years?? That’s more than two each year on average. In a region as competitive as Europe?? That’s actually insane.
Some comments are in other languages too, which, of course, tells you the international nature of their fanbase: Spanish comments, French comments, Polish comments — all celebrating or debating the legacy. That one French comment roughly translates to “The 2019 roster was something else,” which… facts.
That they even have resurrection speed when the times get rough (in the case, 2021 when they didn’t make Worlds) really tells you so much about their resolve. “Up and downs but always coming back… I’m hyped for the finals but I’m more hyped for Worlds,” said one, which, indeed, is the anticipation of their fans for a renaissance.
Whether they’ll ever really be the greatest or not will probably never have an answer — esports fans love a big debate on legacy and rankings. But 21 finals appearances in 25 opportunities? Multiple LEC titles, an MSI championship, Worlds finals appearance? From an objective perspective, that has got to be the best run Europe has ever seen in League of Legends.
And to think they’re still competitive now? Yet going into finals contesting for titles? Longevity, that, man, is what really separates good teams from great organizations. Other teams have earlier and later had their moments in the sun, but no one in Europe has been able to uphold such level of excellence for so long.
Yeah, maybe G2 is flexing a little bit on that tweet. But… they can flex a little. When you look at the actual numbers coupled with the real trophies, it’s quite hard to deny them being the most successful League organization ever in Europe. For better or worse, you gotta respect the consistency of it all.
