G2 Vs TES – A Battle of Nerves and Redemption – Worlds 2025 Quarterfinals Preview

A growing rivalry, already carrying massive implications. This Thursday, G2 Esports will face Top Esports for a place in the semifinals of Worlds 2025. And while simply reaching the quarterfinals already feels like a huge victory for Europe, this particular draw leaves room for much more. Let’s break down the key storylines and stakes in this Worlds 2025 preview.

A beatable opponent

Among all the possible opponents G2 could have drawn, Top Esports (TES) arguably ranks among the most beatable. That said, G2 were thoroughly outclassed by TES during the Swiss Stage in their best-of-one encounter. Skewmond notably fell back into the same bad habits that once defined G2’s worst moments — a lack of proactivity in the early game. Forced into a counter matchup against Kanavi’s Trundle, he found no angles to help his team progress on the map, while the Chinese jungler dictated the pace everywhere, backed by a dominant 369 on Aatrox.

However, both teams have evolved significantly since that first-round meeting. G2 has followed an upward trajectory throughout the tournament, mirroring their overall 2025 season. After upsetting the Chinese first seed BLG, thanks in large part to an excellent draft, the Samurais went on to finally overcome their long-standing North American nemesis, FlyQuest, securing a 3–1 record to advance to the Knockout Stage.

Interestingly, G2 hasn’t had their strongest year compared to the last two. After a rough MSI, the team bounced back, finishing 4th at the Esports World Cup, followed by a flawless LEC Summer Split, where they simply dominated from start to finish. They didn’t lose a single game that split. Their map control, jungle-support synergy, and team decision-making were a cut above their competition.

Peaking at the right time

In 2023 and 2024, G2 had dominated throughout the season only to collapse when it mattered most — at Worlds. This year, their progression curve feels different. The team seems to have found its peak form at the perfect moment, finally reclaiming a playoff spot at the biggest event of the year — five years after their last one.

Their Summer Split success was defined by clean, disciplined play. But at Worlds, G2 have developed a new quality: clutch factor. Against both BLG and FlyQuest, they showed resilience they hadn’t needed before. A perfect example is their Game 3 vs. FlyQuest, where after losing two consecutive skirmishes, a brilliant Caps/Skewmond combo in the final teamfight turned the game on its head — a play that was later introduced as #1 Best Play of the Swiss Stage Part.2.

This newfound clutch ability could prove vital against TES, a team capable of putting immense early-game pressure on opponents but notorious for throwing leads in the mid game due to volatile decision-making and overaggressive plays in key moments.

The psychological edge

G2 also holds a historical psychological advantage in best-of-five series against TES. Creme, 369, and JackeyLove all remember the humiliation of last year’s MSI 2024, where G2 completely dismantled Top Esports in a 3–0 sweep. That series lasted just 1 hour and 23 minutes in total, with Hans Sama utterly dominating JKL in lane and the entire G2 squad executing TES on every front.

Conveniently, their three direct opponents — BrokenBlade, Caps and Hans Sama — are the only remaining members of that roster this year. And while they know they’re capable of outperforming their Chinese rivals, the mental scars from that MSI stomp could weigh even more heavily if things start going south again. Especially since TES as an organization has a long history of choking on the international stage — even this year at First Stand, where they surprisingly crumbled against both the LEC and the LCP.

Cracks in Top Esports’ armor

Despite finishing as the LPL Summer runner-up, Top Esports have looked shaky throughout the Swiss Stage. They opened strong, with dominant showings against G2 and 100 Thieves, but their first BO3 against KT Rolster clearly dented their confidence — and again, TES has never been known for its mental fortitude. They followed that up with another tough loss against Gen.G, before narrowly bouncing back with a 2–1 win over BLG — another LPL team struggling for form.

That win may have restored some morale, but given how difficult it was for them to close out the series, and considering the level of both teams at the time, it’s hard to view TES as a truly dangerous contender heading into the Knockout Stage. It’s primarily Hang and Creme who should be well within reach for Labrov and Caps, considering the level the two Chinese players have shown recently — not to mention the limited reliable meta options available to Creme in draft. My bigger concern lies on the topside, where only a peak-form BrokenBlade can realistically outperform 369, while Skewmond might struggle with confidence on such a big stage in his rookie year, especially facing a Kanavi who’s still notorious for taking over games single-handedly.

A series that could go in any direction

This best-of-five could literally go either way. A 3–0 G2 sweep wouldn’t be that surprising if TES once again chokes and collapses under pressure, but neither would a 3–1 TES win if G2 can’t find answers to the LPL’s third seed and their relentless early-game aggression around every objective. What makes this matchup so intriguing is that both teams seem currently far from their peak level, and the first game of the series could set the tone for everything that follows.

2 days… pic.twitter.com/oq1OFc2ecU

— G2 League of Legends (@G2League) October 28, 2025

At present, Top Esports look slightly favored — perhaps a 3–1 — given that G2 haven’t shown reassuring signs in their gameplay so far (two sloppy games against FLY and a draft-diff win over BLG.). However, the Samurai might come into this series more relaxed, having already achieved their primary goal of reaching the quarterfinals. A loose and confident G2, combining the same clinical decisiveness they showed throughout the LEC with their recent learnings and trademark creativity in best-of-five drafts, could absolutely topple a TES squad prone to crumbling under pressure — especially if an early upset starts brewing in front of their home crowd.

One thing is certain: hope is more than ever alive for Europe.