2016 was a fantastic year for G2 Esports. We cemented our place in the upper echelon of the industry and won multiple international titles across the various games where we are represented, some of which were new to us. So if 2015 was the breakthrough year for G2, 2016 was the year where we turned a corner and proved our doubters wrong. But of course that this success is not just ours to enjoy, so we would like to thank you, the fan, for sticking with us all year long and showing your support, even when things were not going our way.
We have now chosen the most memorable pictures from the past 12 months. Scroll down this page to find 12 pictures that tell the story of G2 throughout 2016.
Photo credit: Riot Games
1. Kang-yun “Trick” Kim, our League of Legends team’s Jungler, is named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the EU LCS Spring Split. After finding his options very limited in his homeland of South Korea, Kang-yun moved to Europe, where he became an instant sensation, helping our team to win back-to-back EU LCS trophies. Months after this picture was taken, he would be named MVP of the Summer Split.
Photo credit: Riot Games
2. Our League of Legends team wins the EU LCS Spring Split after defeating Origen in the final, in Rotterdam. Just months after qualifying for the league from the Challenger Series, we continued to defy the odds, making history as we became the first team to win an EU LCS title right after securing promotion.
Photo credit: HLTV.org
3. Richard “shox” Papillon hugs Adil “ScreaM” Benrlitom as the team reaches the final at the ESL Pro League Season 3 finals, in London. After some mixed results during the first four months of the year, the team sent out a strong message that it was ready to fight for titles.
Photo credit: Blizzard
4. Thijs “Thijs” Molendijk smiles as he wins the Hearthstone Europe Spring Championship after beating Alexey “Iner” Bakumenko 4-3 in the final. With this victory, the Dutchman also made history as he became only the second player in the history of the game to qualify for the World Championship.
Photo credit: LVP
5. Our Spanish League of Legends team called G2.Vodafone, emulates the success of our main squad and wins the Final Cup, in Madrid, after beating ASUS ROG Army in an exciting match. It was the result of the ambitious project that was launched months earlier through an unprecedented partnership between G2 and telecommunications group Vodafone and that resulted in a television show called “Gamers”, which aired on MTV Spain.
Photo credit: HLTV.org
6. Our Counter-Strike team finishes first at the ECS Season 1 finals, in London, after beating Luminosity in the final. It was a wild ride for the team, which got off on the wrong foot, losing to Liquid in the opening group stage match, but, in the end, the players gave a fantastic account of themselves and avenged the defeat in the ESL Pro League Season 3 finals.
Photo credit: Riot Games
7. Now with Jesper “Zven” Svenningsen and Alfonso “mithy” Aguirre Rodriguez manning the bot lane, and Ki “Expect” Dae- up top, our League of Legends team successfully defends its EU LCS title in the Summer playoffs, beating Splyce in the final. By reaching the tournament decider, the team also secured a spot at the World Championship, the biggest and most prestigious event of the year.
Photo credit: DreamHack
8. Dima “Rdu” Radu wins DreamHack Summer with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Sebastian “Forsen” Fors and makes history by becoming the first-ever player to have two DreamHack titles to their name.
Photo credit: Super Evil Megacorp
9. Timo “D1ngo” Tekolf celebrates as G2 moves on at the Vainglory Summer Championship. Throughout the year, the team had high highs and low lows, but it always performed well at offline events, and finished the season as one of the strongest teams in the region.
Photo credit: TakeTV
10. Adrian “Lifecoach” Koy smiles as he lifts the SeatStory Cup V trophy after an incredible run that saw him lose just one match and also beat teammate Thijs “Thijs” Molendijk in an exciting seven-game thriller in the semi-finals. This was Adrian’s best finish of the year, as far as offline events are concerned, and it showed that his chances can never be written off.
Photo credit: Riot Games
11. After winning two EU LCS titles, our League of Legends team headed to North America to compete at the World Championship. Sadly, things did not go our team’s way as it finished at the bottom of the group, with one victory from six matches, but expectations are high as we head into the 2017 season with the same roster and a revamped backroom staff!
12. Without surprise, G2 is voted the best Hearthstone team for the second year in a row, taking 54% of votes in the community poll. With over $125,000 in tournament winnings throughout the year, the team “remains on top of the scene, solid as a rock, synonymous with success”, GosuGamers wrote.
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