G2 Mikyx on Chronobreaks, returning to G2, and the British accent

With a series that could have gone either way with its half-hour game pause and a dreaded Chronobreak, it's fair to say that G2's last series on the 2023 Mid-Season Invitational (MSI 2023) stage was interesting. Despite G2's best efforts and success in taking a game off the League of Legends Pro League's (LPL) second seed, it sadly wasn't meant to be this time. We sat down with Mihael "Mikyx" Mehle to talk about what happened from his perspective, his return to G2, and more.

In the most non-offensive way possible, you were not expected to win. Was this motivation for you?

Mikyx: "Yes, it is quite a big motivation to prove people wrong because I do think we are better than we showed and we could have for sure made it to top three. So it kind of sucks and it’s a reality check that we lost, that we suck, and that we need to get better by Worlds. So we just have to work harder."

You played games on Blitzcrank professionally before. What made you want to take it this time?

Mikyx: "I felt like with Malphite being really strong right now — and usually when people blind pick Lulu or Aphelios — Blitz is really good into those, but also really good on its own and it fits in well. If that went well, then it would make them think twice about blind picking Lulu into Aphelios."

You were able to turn it around in the second game and slow down BLG. What changed for you?

Mikyx: "In game two, I guess when they threw their lead, we were quite happy because it allowed us to take over the game. We were like, 'Okay. You guys are not that great.' They just like threw a really free win. And we can always rely on Elk to throw the game for us, so we were just waiting. We were very confident going into the next games because we knew we could win. Because for us, it felt like if they didn’t get such an early lead, we could win. Because mid-game and team fights — they weren’t playing well."

From the fan's perspective, it looked really rough when the pause came in the fourth game, which lasted 30 minutes and had a Chronobreak. What was going through your head?

Mikyx: "For me personally, pauses are always very annoying — especially the long ones where they just pause for no reason. And especially Chronobreaks. Every single time there was a Chronobreak, I lost the game after that, so I really hate Chronobreaks. As soon as it happened, I was like, ‘Not f*cking again’ and tried to do some deep breathing. The game didn’t change too much from the Chronobreak onwards, except that we couldn’t time their summoners. But for me, quite annoying mentally. I'm not so sure for the rest of the team, but me and Yike — we always get triggered. But we need to get better at that. Otherwise, people might start trying to use them against us."

BB and Caps have told us about how this G2 roster is going for the best results possible all the time. Is it mentally taxing to be constantly thinking about winning?

Mikyx: "No, I think that’s how a pro player should think. You should be wanting to be the best and be working towards that goal. The 2019 roster had a lot of good achievements and obviously, we want to beat that and be even better."

You’ve been on the international stage before. Is this something you enjoy or a necessary pressure?

Mikyx: "I really enjoy playing internationally — especially when there is a crowd like today, you know? When there is a big arena, it is always a lot more enjoyable and a lot more fulfilling in a way. For me, I get extra motivation when there are more people. It feels a lot different to playing in a studio where there [are] maybe 50 people, so I like it a lot."

You briefly went over to Excel Esports last year, but then came back to G2. Did it feel right to return to G2 given your long history with them and the element of comfort or familiarity?

Mikyx: "Yes, for sure. I really liked playing in G2. There were a few things that I wasn’t a big fan of that were there in G2 back then, but they aren’t there now. So it's much nicer to be part of the organization, and I really like everyone on the team. Everyone is really trying their hardest, and it is just very rewarding as well for me."

What is your favorite thing about MSI being hosted in London this year?

Mikyx: "I like that it’s hosted in London because usually, when you go to international tournaments and you want to go for food, people don’t speak English. They speak English here, so I like that part. Another thing about London is I like the accent. I like the U.K. accent. I kind of liked the food here — at least most of the time. And the biggest difference is Subway because here, Subway has meatballs. In Germany, you can’t get them. That is a big game-changer."

Is there any story or meaning behind your in-game name?

Mikyx: "Well, not quite, but kind of. When I was in primary school, people always called me Miky. It could be because my name is Mihael, so kind of close, but also whenever I went to the store, I bought Milky Ways. So maybe that had something to do with it. ...Kind of close, right? And then when I wanted to get a summoner name, just ‘Miky’ was taken, so I added an ‘x.’ And then it looked pretty cool with the 'x,' so I just kind of kept it since then."

If you were an animal, what animal would you be? And why?

Mikyx: "A wolf. I think wolves are pretty cool."

It's been some time since you and Jankos played on the same team. Are you missing him and making content with him for G2?

Mikyx: "Definitely no. It’s good for some laughs, but for the majority — too awkward for me."

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