About a year ago, at MSI 2019, G2 Esports convincingly defeated Team Liquid in the finals with a score of 3-0 and crowned themselves champions of this prestigious tournament. To reach that final, G2 had to defeat SKT T1, now known as T1, right at their stronghold of resilience in tense Bo5 matches. The MSI 2019 trophy is not just an ordinary championship; it also serves as a testament to the strength of Western League of Legends.
Of course, G2 Esports cannot celebrate entirely since they lost to FunPlus Phoenix 0-3 at the 2019 World Championship, but their achievement at MSI last year is still something to be proud of. However, it wasn’t until yesterday that the ‘branded’ MSI trophy engraved with G2 Esports’ name arrived at the team’s traditional room, and immediately, the organization flaunted it on social media.
In terms of achievements, it’s hard to find a team in Europe that can match G2 Esports right now; Fnatic was once a world champion, but unfortunately, back in 2011, Riot didn’t have the tradition of awarding trophies. “If no Western teams can stand up to G2, then T1 must step in,” – Right after G2 Esports posted the trophy, T1 from South Korea made a fierce comeback by showcasing all three Summoner’s Cups and two MSI titles to overshadow them.
Although they are in the process of reshaping their roster after the departures of Khan and Clid, T1 still shows they are a top-tier team currently among the leaders of the LCK. Meanwhile, G2 Esports has found their footing again, reclaiming the number one spot in this spring’s LEC, and if both teams maintain their current form, the chance of them facing off in the next international tournament, possibly MSI 2020, will be significant. At that time, we’ll see who gets to “brag” in the end.
Perhaps in terms of titles, T1 has received the number two position that no one dares to claim as number one, with 3 World Championship titles and 2 MSI titles; it may be a long time or perhaps never that any team can surpass T1 in terms of titles. Nevertheless, G2 Esports’ MSI trophy is incredibly valuable as it is the first major title after many years of Western teams being overshadowed by Asian teams in international tournaments.
