Q: What’s your takeaway after a loss like this?
Dylan: It’s heartbreaking. I think this team was probably a top 8 team in the world throughout our entire existence. Not making the top 8 at either Worlds is really heartbreaking. Critical aspects like tracking teleports and making Baron and base decisions in the endgame are things we need to understand better for high-pressure situations. I feel like we let a couple of games slip through our fingers.
At these events, we often have good game states, but sometimes there’s a skill gap in skirmishes and late-game team fights. We need to attain more mastery to compete with the top Korean and Chinese teams.
Q: Can you go through all of your players and say something you love about them in-game and out of game?
Dylan: Caps in-game, the creativity. That’s what everyone always says. I think this year, not as much in champion picks, but more just how we play the map and help in clutch scenarios where we need to figure out a way to win the game.
Outside of the game, his passion for League and wanting to talk about it all the time is amazing. It brings strength to the team because we’re always talking about League.
For BB, he can play so many champions, which is something a lot of top laners cannot do; he can really use drafts to his advantage. Outside the game, he’s our leader, motivating people and guiding us through tough times.
For Yike, he’s been so reliable and strong mechanically. When we were able to play carry jungles, his ability to take over the game was crazy. Outside of the game, he’s very willing to do whatever it takes for the team, to sacrifice. It’s something every team needs.
Hans’ level of mastery on champions is incredible; he plays a smaller pool of champions, but with such precision. Outside of the game, he’s a grinder. Every part of his day is geared towards being a great League player, which is really admirable.
For Miky, his decisiveness in-game is huge. Playing engage and playmaking champions, he needs to be able to create space. Outside of the game, he’s one of the kindest, most giving people I’ve ever known.
Q: In the scrum, BB said that this was no different for him than being eliminated in quarters or semis. In the end, G2 isn’t the best if you lose to HLE/BLG. Do you agree?
Dylan: I think making a deep run at Worlds is certainly an achievement. When teams make semis or finals, it’s something to be proud of. At G2, we genuinely aspire to be the best team in the world. When it comes to making quarters, there can be a lot of variance involved with draws and matchups. So, definitely, not all runs are equal, but it’s something we aspire to, to make a deep run at Worlds. So I disagree a bit with what BB said on that.
Q: Did you think about Game 2 as a pivot to something non-standard after Noc-Ori?
Dylan: We don’t see Game 1 as a standard draft or Game 2 as a non-standard draft. For me, I just see Game 1 as a bad draft and Game 2 as a good draft. When we pick champions and research them, we don’t think about whether something is standard or non-standard. We just consider if it’s good for a scenario or offers a draft advantage.
For example, Yasuo vs. Gnar is a matchup we’ve played many times over the years. It’s not non-standard to us; it’s just a strong counter to Gnar, so we practice and prepare it. Similarly, if they pick tanks and we pick Kog’Maw, it’s because we think it’s strong for that situation, not because we want a non-standard draft. I think in Game 1, they had five champions that counter Nocturne, so he couldn’t play the game. That’s just a strategy error, not about standard vs. non-standard.
Q: Who pitches that in draft?
Dylan: The Yasuo pick isn’t crazy to us, and Sylas is also a known counter to Gnar. So, when they lock in a rotation like that, we feel it’s exploitable. That’s likely poor drafting on their part. We take advantage of that. We’re not picking these champions as a combo in practice; we read the scenarios and react accordingly in the draft.
Header Image Credit: Adela Sznajder / Riot Games