G2’s 2022 LEC roster addresses offseason controversies in Reddit AMA

G2 Esports’ 2022 League of Legends roster hosted an AMA via the org’s official Reddit yesterday, where they discussed the team’s shortcomings in 2021 and how their dynamic is shaping up for 2022.

G2 have certainly had a controversial 2021. After failing to make the World Championship for the first time in the organization’s history, changes needed to be made. Those changes, however, were met with their fair share of criticism on social media.

The circumstances surrounding buyouts for support Mihael ‘Mikyx’ Mehle and AD Carry Martin ‘Rekkles’ Larsson became a matter of public debate. CEO Carlos ‘Ocelote’ Rodriguez was accused by Mikyx of a lack of communication during offseason negotiations, with the support player seemingly being left teamless for the 2022 Spring Split.

What do the remaining players think of G2?

Those controversies were addressed on November 9 during an ‘Ask Me Anything’ thread with the new team on the official G2 subreddit, in which user u/Beauski asked the players what they thought of Ocelote’s conduct during the offseason.

• Read More: Former G2 support Mikyx left teamless in 2022 despite buyout being lowered

Mid laner Caps stated that both G2 and Ocelote himself had been “really good to me” and that, although he was “unable to comment” on the situation with former players, he himself was happy with the organization.

Caps also commented on his recent contract extension with G2, explaining that the four-year deal allowed him security to focus on his own personal development and performance in-game.

“Honestly, off season/contract negotiations are always the most stressful time for me,” Caps said. “Now I have a long contract and can focus on playing League.”

Where did it all go wrong for G2 in 2021?

The players didn’t shy away from answering the difficult questions in the AMA. In particular, Caps discussed his own personal underperformance, stating that “last year was really bad- after losing so many Worlds in a row, I started doubting myself a lot.” He’s the only European player to lose twice in the World Championship finals — once with Fnatic, and later with G2.

However, in 2021 he was not even able to make it to those finals. Addressing the team’s failure to make Worlds, Ocelote explained that the team’s problems stemmed from a multitude of issues behind the scenes.

• Read More: Caps re-signs with G2 on a four-year contract

He cited “lack of ambition/energy/self-reflection/willingness to improve as a group'” as being among the reasons for the team’s failure, a sentiment echoed by Jankos, who explained that the team”were not on the same page at all” during 2021.

What do G2’s new players think of the organization?

Newcomers Raphaël ‘Targamas’ Crabbé and Sergen ‘Broken Blade’ Çelik also gave their opinions on the organization in the AMA. In response to the question of his opinion of Ocelote’s conduct, Broken Blade replied that “if G2 calls, you take the call.”

Part of what drew Broken Blade to the team was the organization’s “insane” legacy across multiple titles. G2 have a history of prestige, especially in the LEC, and it looks like one rough offseason has not tainted that allure for prospective players.

Support Targamas went on to comment that it was an “honour” to be a part of G2 and that he didn’t mind the expectations and pressure that come from competing under such an iconic name.