G2 Esports player Mihael ‘Mikyx’ Mehle recently offered his take on the performance of North American and European teams in the ongoing World Championship 2023. This comes after his own team, G2, commenced their tournament journey on an impressive note with two victories to their name.
With the exception of G2 Esports, the performances of other competing teams from LEC or LCS in the Worlds 2023 have not been particularly impressive. Teams like Team Liquid and Team BDS have yet to secure a win, languishing with a score of 0-2 as the third round of the Swiss Stage beckons. Apart from G2, every other team rests on an average score of 1-1.
The initial victories of the G2 squad came against Dplus KIA and Weibo. In spite of the matches being closely contested, G2 managed to pull off the wins. It is notable that these teams are the No. 1 seed from LEC and No. 4 seed from LPL, respectively.
A question about the future prospects of Western teams in the tournament drew an unfiltered response from Mikyx. The star G2 support player suggested the West's chances are quite slim:
"The West is doomed. I have to admit everyone else in the West is really Bronze, so I don’t have any hope. I think we’re actually good. So I think we can win,” he remarked confidently.
G2’s effective understanding of the game
Mikyx attributed his team’s success so far to their thorough understanding of the meta, their impressive drafting abilities, and the general lack of these among other teams. In his view, it is these factors that have given G2 an edge in the World Championship so far.
Hesitant to credit Asian teams for G2’s grasp of the meta, Mikyx went on to say, "Maybe we’ve learned some things from the top teams, but I think most teams are not very good at drafting for the meta. I do not think they have a good read. So, I think we might have influenced them more in reading the meta than they influenced us."
The unique strategies of G2
This year, G2 has surprised many with some unique choices for their in-game picks. For instance, Steven ‘Hans Sama’ Liv’s Draven and Sergen ‘BrokenBlade’ Çelik’s Yone were not common choices, marking the team's innovative strategy for the tournament. Furthermore, Mikyx opined that the top teams have their own meta and play to their own strengths. It's less crucial for these teams, including G2, to find the tournament meta for their success.
G2’s strategy appears to be working well, earning them the vote of confidence from many, including Golden Guardian's player huhi. Commenting on their match against Team BDS, he suggested that G2 might be the West's best chance of making a mark at Worlds 2023.
Other Western Teams at Worlds 2023
However, despite his overall bleak outlook, Mikyx did acknowledge that he could see Team Liquid doing fairly well in the tournament, at least when the interview was conducted. Whether Team Liquid's recent one-sided loss to NRG has changed his opinion remains uncertain.
As the World Championship 2023 progresses, G2 and Mikyx are set to face their first major test on October 21. They will be going up against the top South Korean team, Gen.G Esports, in the third round of the Swiss Stage. With their current form and approach, the gaming world is eagerly waiting to see how they fare in this challenge.