After a tough loss against G2 Esports, Gen.G Duro reflected on their drafting choices and what needs to change moving forward.
At The First Stand 2026, anything can happen, and Gen.G’s loss to G2 was not part of many predictions, yet it became a reality. It has been 2,323 days since G2 last reached an international Grand Final, and now they have a chance to claim a title for a region that hasn’t seen one since 2019.
In an interview with esports.gg, Gen.G Joo “Duro” Min-kyu shared his perspective on how drafting choices impacted the series while also praising the opposing jungler for his performance. He also discussed what the team needs to improve ahead of the upcoming split, as well as his experience playing alongside Ruler and their synergy.
I think SkewMond did a great job. He invaded our jungle level one, took camps, and then came straight to the bot lane. He was the one who had the biggest impact on the game.
Gen.G Duro
The drafting choices
Gen.G’s 0–3 loss to G2 came as a surprise to many. To understand what went wrong for the Korean team, it’s worth looking at their draft choices. In the first game, Gen.G went for the Ashe–Seraphine duo, with Seraphine as a first pick. With Nautilus still available, it was a risk they were willing to take, as they didn’t expect the lane to struggle so much against Miss Fortune and Nautilus.
“First of all, I think SkewMond did a great job. He invaded our jungle level one, took camps, and then came straight to the bot lane,” Gen.G Duro explained. “He was the one who had the biggest impact on the game. Obviously, facing Nautilus with our draft was going to be hard, and the gank snowballed it.”
As for the Vayne top pick in the second game, Duro explained that the team considered it a strong choice internally. He added that the main issues came from their gameplay, rather than the draft itself. Even the Kog-Lulu pick by G2 in the last game was predictable. “We were aware of that possibility since G2 plays many champions we don’t usually see in the LCK,” he said.
For Duro, Labrov was very impactful in the bot lane as well. “We tried to focus on the bot lane by the Kog-Lulu combo, and I think they did a better job,” he said. “Our attempt to grow on the match was blocked by them.”
After this series, Duro emphasized that the most important lesson was that if the team gets countered by the opponent’s picks, they should focus more on their own compositions. “I feel like there are a lot of key takeaways from today’s match against G2,” he added.
Gen.G Duro on his experience in Brazil and playing with Ruler
“We didn’t go out much, but it was very different from what I had expected,” Duro said. “It was so peaceful. We were able to roam around comfortably during the day.”
While his teammate Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon highlighted the time zone differences as one of the main challenges in Brazil, Duro found adapting to the food more uncomfortable. “I don’t think the food really suited my taste, which was unfortunate for me.”
Now that Duro has been with Gen.G for over a year and has extended his contract until the end of 2026, he reflected on how much he has learned with the team. “To be honest, I think we still have a long way to go,” he said. “Ruler and I still need to improve our synergy, but there’s plenty of room for growth, so I’m not too concerned.”
A glorious day for G2
For G2 Esports, March 21 felt like a dream. Their victory over Gen.G in the First Stand 2026 semifinals marked their first qualification for an international final in 2,323 days. Their last appearance was at the 2019 League of Legends World Championship, where they fell short against FunPlus Phoenix. Rasmus “Caps” Borregaard Winther is the only member of the 2019 roster still in the organization.
This is also the first time a LCK team won’t be present at an international event’s finals in nearly three years. The last time was in the MSI 2023, where JDG defeated BLG and secured the title.
The First Stand 2026 Grand Finals will be happening on March 22 at 6 a.m. PT / 9 a.m. ET / 2 p.m. CET. G2 Esports will be playing against Bilibili Gaming, which defeated JDG and secured its spot at the finals.