G2 ESports destroys Heretics in 2nd fastest game in LEC history
This Sunday, G2 Esports almost beat their own record after defeating Team Heretics in an astounding 18 minutes and 40 seconds. It was the second-fastest matchup in League of Legends’ EMEA Championship (LEC) history, outmatched only by G2’s 18 minutes and 31 seconds in 2019.
G2 maintained control throughout the fight, surprising casters after bringing the second rift herald shortly into the game. They captured the Heretic’s base only 16 minutes after their rift herald capture.
Marcin “Jankos” Jankowski, a former member of G2 who helped set the team’s first record, played as Heretic’s jungler. His G2 counterpart, Steven “Hans Sama” Liv, remained invincible as Draven, finishing the match with zero deaths and six kills.
In light of the unlikely meet-up between new and old faces, Hans Sama remarked that he wished the team had broken their old record.
“We did the second herald and tried to end the game really fast. I wish that we were the first one,” Hans Sama said.
Game highlights
Hans Sama’s play as Draven was difficult for Heretics to keep up with, and his teammates played just as well.
Sergen “BrokenBlade” Çelik ruled the top lane as Jax, taking advantage of the character’s aggressive playstyle. G2’s new Jungle addition, Martin “Yike” Sundelin, also took over the Rift as one of League’s latest Void characters, Bel’Veth.
Yike’s play as Bel’Veth became crucial early in the game, as he set up the tracks for G2’s second-fastest win in history with the second rift herald.
Yike spawned the fondly-called “Shirley” rift herald into the game after obtaining the Eyes of the Monster, ruining Heretics’ towers and pushing them into rapid destruction. Shirley was later seen dancing across from the destroyed Nexus to celebrate G2’s momentous victory.
New faces, same goals
Their first-place record was set by their star roster of Jankos, Rasmus “Caps” Borregaard Winther, Martin “Wunder” Nordahl Hansen, Luka “Perkz” Perković and Mihael “Mikyx” Mehle. Their game against Origen in the 2019 LEC Spring Playoffs lasted only 18 minutes and 31 seconds, thanks to the team’s indomitable play.
However, the team has long changed since then. Mikyx was benched in 2022 after G2’s disappointing 2021 performance, despite long and arduous contract negotiations. Along with Jankos, Wunder and Perkz have switched teams to Fnatic and Vitality, respectively.
That said, in 2023, Mikyx returned as a support, and Caps remained a mid-laner. Hans Sama also came back from North America to participate in the LEC as a bot-laner. Yike was set to prove himself as a replacement for Jankos and succeeded in doing just that with his incredible performance as Bel’Veth.
As the team retained two of its veterans and matched up against its former star jungler, the game became a nostalgia trip with a new twist. While the 2023 roster was short of 14 seconds in beating the 2019’s record, their latest performance indicates a determination to maintain their position at the top.
Their next game is against Vitality, who dominated their first three games in the 2023 season. Once again, they will meet another familiar face in their opposing team, as Perkz greets them as a mid-laner.
