In League of Legends, the European top team G2 Esports is restructuring ahead of the 2023 season. They were eager to sign the 23-year-old Frenchman Steven “Hans sama” Liv before the season, but he had one condition: He wanted a very specific support at his side. This turned out to be a downfall for the 22-year-old LoL pro Targamas.
What was the situation at G2 in 2021 and 2022?
- In 2021, G2 played with a “relatively old” team: They had assembled an experienced squad, but the season went poorly. They couldn’t even qualify for the Worlds. Therefore, a fresh start was necessary. Three experienced players and the coach left after 2021: Wunder (24), Rekkles (26), Mikyx (24), and coach Grabbz.
- In 2022, G2 set to work with a young bot lane: Flakked (21) and Targamas (22) were to make it happen. But this team also fell short of expectations and couldn’t achieve anything at the Worlds.
- Now, before 2023, they have sent the new bot lane back to the desert, and the longtime jungler Jankos (27) has to go. Mikyx is suddenly back in the team.
Botlaner “International reached his limits” – Was replaced
What does G2 say about the adjustment? In an interview (via twitch), the G2 manager states that they consciously separated from the young Spaniard Flakked after a year. They were eager to bring in Hans sama, who had a terrible year in the USA with Team Liquid in 2022:
„We decided to swap out the bot laner because Flakked hit his limits in international play. So we did everything to get Hans sama. We had spoken with him before this year. Then he returned from a terrible season. He was at the top of the European solo queue in a few weeks and made it into the top 20 on the Korean server. So he wasn’t “washed-up” or “near retirement,” as some people say.”
Romain Biegeard, G2 Esports General Manager
But as the manager says, Hans sama came with a clear demand. He did not want to play on the bot lane with the Belgian Targamas, but with Mikyx, Targamas’ predecessor, whom G2 had released in 2021.
It is said that Hans sama played with Mikyx in 2018 and has good memories of the supporter. Hans sama has no problem with Targamas but wants to play with Mikyx because they know each other well from solo queue.
This was apparently the only condition the Frenchman set.
The manager states:
We looked at the pros and cons and he wanted Mikyx, so we sadly had to part ways with Targamas. Our priority was to ensure that the bot laner feels comfortable, so we acted accordingly.
Romain Biegeard, G2 Esports General Manager
Ironically, Mikyx is now back at G2. Targamas will take his now vacant position at Excel Esports. He probably has to take the whole thing with a smile: He looks forward to the new year and “more trophies in 2023,” the Belgian wrote on Twitter.
In any case, the transfer market is running at full speed again:
