G2 SkewMond’s journey from rookie to Worlds hopeful for Europe’s return to glory

For the first time, Rudy “SkewMond” Semaan will step onto the League of Legends Worlds (LoL Worlds 2025) stage. The young G2 Esports jungler carries the hopes of Europe on his shoulders, determined to help the region reclaim a title it hasn’t held since the very first Worlds back in 2013. In a tournament long defined by Asian dominance, G2 is setting out to change the narrative to spark the comeback of Europe, the Middle East and Africa's (EMEA) former glory.

The French rookie sat down with esports.gg to reflect on his growth since the start of the year, his first international experience at Mid-Season Invitational (MSI), and the inspirations and expectations driving him as he heads into LoL Worlds 2025.

The jungler is no stranger to the competitive scene. He began his career in 2021, competing for several smaller European teams and steadily climbing the ranks. His big break came with Team BDS Academy, where his performances began to catch the attention of those closely following the scene.

His undeniable talent soon caught the attention of G2 Esports, one of the most dominant teams in the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC), which was searching for a new jungler. Since joining, he hasn’t stopped proving his worth. In March 2025, he shattered his own record for the highest all-time EUW LP, reaching an impressive 2,216 LP.

Now, all he wants is to bring that same firepower to the LoL Worlds 2025 stage, helping G2 finally break through to the Playoffs, a milestone the team hasn’t reached since 2020. "I’m really excited and hyped to play in this tournament. It’s been a dream of mine ever since I started playing League. I’ve watched every Worlds since around 2016 or 2017, and now being here, especially as Europe’s first seed, feels surreal," SkewMond expressed. "I’ve always wanted to see Europe lift the trophy one day, so I hope this might finally be the year."

Sofia: This will be your first LoL Worlds. What are your expectations for the tournament?

G2 SkewMond: I mean, I want to win it all. That’s always the goal. But right now, I’m really focused on the present, taking it one game at a time. I don’t want to look too far ahead.

Sofia: Now that you've had more time to integrate with the team and adapt to their strategy, how would you assess your personal growth since the beginning of the year?

G2 SkewMond: I’m really happy with my growth this year. In terms of in-game stuff, I’ve learned a lot with the team, and we’ve come to a lot of good conclusions throughout the season. Even though we had our share of failures, losing two finals and not performing our best at MSI, I feel like we’ve come a long way.

We’re playing much better together now, and I believe we can push even further. I’m really looking forward to this tournament because it’s a marathon, you know? Hopefully, we can keep scaling as the tournament goes on.

Sofia: As you said, your MSI performance was not the best. How do you think that underwhelming performance influences your approach to the matches now at LoL the LoL Worlds 2025 event?

G2 SkewMond: For me individually, I don’t think I’ll feel too much pressure going into the games. Of course, there’s always some pressure when you’re competing, but I think the way I handle it now is very different. I’m really looking forward to performing because I know that when I just play my own game, without overthinking, I can show some really good stuff. I’m confident we can take down a lot of strong teams.

Sofia: Is this your first time in China? Have you had the opportunity to explore a little bit of Beijing?

G2 SkewMond: Yes, it is. I did, actually. We arrived about a week and a half ago, and at first we went to Tianjin, a city close to Beijing. We got to explore a bit, and it was really nice, very different from Europe. It was really cool to see how everything’s organized there and just to take in how the city looks. Overall, it was a pretty fun experience.

The food wasn’t bad, to be fair. I’m not a huge fan of seafood, and there’s definitely a lot of it here, but when it comes to rice, beef, and noodles, they’re actually really good. I’ve really enjoyed that part here.

Sofia: From all the teams and players, which one would you like to play against?

G2 SkewMond: I mean, obviously T1, if they make it to the main stage first, because they’re usually the team that ends up winning it all. Facing them in such a prestigious tournament would be amazing, and beating them would be something even greater.

As for players, I’d say Oner and Canyon are probably the biggest ones I’m looking forward to facing. From the LPL side, Kanavi and Shad0w as well. He actually won the LPL this year and played really well, plus he’s European too, so it would be nice to face him.

Sofia: I don't know how much you can share, but which team or player surprised you the most during the scrims?

G2 SkewMond: For junglers, probably Wei. I think he’s really good. We played against him, and honestly, he just performs really well overall. I was surprised by how solid he is.

Sofia: The Worlds patch introduced some interesting changes to the jungle. Is there any specific change you’re particularly excited about?

G2 SkewMond: I’m pretty comfortable with most of the champions in the current meta, so there isn’t really one specific champ I’m especially looking forward to playing. I think the jungle meta is pretty straightforward. The one that really stands out right now is probably Qiyana, especially since we’ve seen her quite a bit in the LPL.

Sofia: Can we expect some weird picks from you?

G2 SkewMond: I’m not sure, to be honest. I tried Nunu at MSI, but it didn’t really work out last time, sadly. Nunu might be a bit of a gamble, but who knows? Maybe it’ll surprise people this time. Otherwise, maybe something like Dr. Mundo could be fun to bring out.

The jungler has a 50% win rate with Dr. Mundo and a 62.5% with Nunu & Willump since Season 13, according to gol.gg.

Sofia: Which junglers in Worlds right now inspired you during your career?

G2 SkewMond: I’d say Kanavi, Canyon, and Oner are the first ones that come to mind. They’ve all brought so much to the scene. They’re incredible junglers with their own unique playstyles that really make them stand out in games, and they have been dominating their regions for a long time. Even though not all of them are world champions, they’ve all achieved a lot and performed exceptionally well on the international stage.

Sofia: For people who still aren’t G2 fans, what would you tell them to get them to start watching your games and supporting the team?

G2 SkewMond: If you’re not really into our team yet, I truly believe we’ll be able to show some great stuff this tournament. I know a lot of people don’t have high expectations for us, especially after the last few years in Europe, where we didn’t even make it past quarters. But I really believe this group is special, and we’re ready to prove ourselves. So, make sure to watch our games, and hopefully, this time, we’ll make it out of the Swiss stage.

Sofia: And now to conclude, what message do you want to leave to the G2 fans?

G2 SkewMond: Thank you all for your support since I joined at the start of the year. It’s been a season full of ups and downs, losing two finals, and having a rough MSI, but through it all, so many of you kept believing in us. I’m really happy that my team and I were able to make you proud this summer, and I hope we can keep it going through Worlds.

That's all for now. Stick around for more League of Legends news, guides, and updates on esports.gg.