After an impressive series against Gen.G, G2 Esports were unable to carry that momentum into the The First Stand 2026 Finals against BLG.
The European region had begun to believe in a return to international glory as G2 Esports reached The First Stand 2026 Finals, but Bilibili Gaming (BLG) quickly shattered those hopes. As a region without an international title since 2019, fans were optimistic, and the opening game even gave them reason to dream. However, that was not enough to overcome BLG’s strategy, as they secured a 3-1 victory over G2.
At the post-match press conference, the players reflected on their regrets, what went wrong, and the lessons they will carry into the next split.
A word from the captain
In the end, what remains is a sense of regret and a wish that things had gone differently. While the players were shaken by the hard-fought loss at The First Stand 2026, Rasmus “Caps” Borregaard Winther reminded the team that they had reached this stage by believing in their own talent.
“I’m very proud of everyone in the team,” he began. “I’m excited for what we can show for the rest of the year. The most important lesson is to keep improving. Everyone put in a lot of work this week.” Even if the results weren’t ideal, Caps emphasized that the team remains motivated and will return stronger. “The sky is the limit,” he laughed.
At The First Stand 2026, G2 Esports defeated Team Secret Whales and the two LCK representatives, BFX and Gen.G. The European team lost twice to Bilibili Gaming, once at the beginning of the tournament (3-0) and again at the Grand Finals (3-1). “It took us a while to arrive here, but we believed in each other and in our capacity to defeat the stronger opponents,” Caps added. “Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. We need to keep trying.”
The team’s veteran player also revealed that they learned a great deal from both MSI and the LoL Worlds 2025. In his view, those experiences were crucial in helping the team deliver strong performances, particularly at the start of the event.
G2 reflects on The First Stand loss
Lampros “Labrov” Papoutsakis was one of the highlight players of the tournament, bringing incredible performances in the bot lane alongside Steven “Hans Sama” Liv.
“I felt very outclassed by BLG. We need to come back stronger, more confident, and aggressive, just like BLG did in this tournament,” the support player commented. “That’s what I want to do in the future.”
On the other side, one of the top junglers in the LEC, Rudy “SkewMond” Semaan, highlighted the importance of maintaining strong mental and physical health to perform at the highest level on stage. He also emphasized how valuable it is to face teams from different regions, as it allows for exposure to new styles of play.
“They all have their own unique style,” he said. “It was great to see how differently teams approach the game, especially in the draft.” The jungler also took responsibility for his mistakes, admitting that his decisions disrupted teamfights and made some games more difficult for his team.
Sergen “BrokenBlade” Çelik pointed to the team’s approach to teamfights as one of their most significant areas of improvement. Meanwhile, Hans Sama highlighted how preparation and in-depth game reviews played a key role in the team’s growth throughout the tournament.
G2 Esports is coming back to the LEC stage for the Spring Split on March 28. The winner of the split will qualify for the MSI 2026 and the Esports Worlds Cup.