G2's bot lane has been on form this season, but Hans Sama really brought it home in the 3-1 against KOI
G2 Esports did yet another rework of their team this preseason, changing over half of its starting roster. On the whole, the team did okay in the winter split, ending in a shared third place with SK Gaming. However, G2 has always been a dangerous team in best of series, and together with KOI they were the first teams to make it to the playoffs. There, we saw the two teams clash in the upper bracket, and it was the former Rogue that came off worse for wear in an explosive 3-1 series. While the games had a lot of players wowing us, no one did it quite as well as the prodigal AD Carry, Steven “Hans Sama” Liv.
Debuting to the then-EU LCS in 2017 after his team Misfits Gaming went through the Challenger series, the French AD carry quickly built a reputation as one of the best bot laners in Europe and went to Worlds in his first year. After two more years with the Misfits roster and two more in Rogue, he eventually made the move to the LCS in 2022 as part of the star-studded Team Liquid roster. Sadly, the team did not pan out, but when G2 contacted him for their 2023 roster rebuild, he had another chance to prove himself on the European scene - and he quickly set out to silence any doubters. He has had a very strong winter season, but the series against KOI really stood out.
With his old partner in crime from Misfits Mihael "Mikyx" Mehle, Hans Sama had to take on KOI’s own bot lane - and he went on an absolute tear. The opening gambit saw his Miss Fortune dominate the mid-lane and end with a 10/1/5 result. The second game didn’t give him the time to really scale as G2 crushed the opposition but he still remained deathless with 4/0/2 on Varus. KOI hit back in game 3, leading to a less than impressive 1/4/4 on Kalista, but Hans Sama had the last laugh with a scaling Sivir pick in game 4 that was brutally oppressive and ended with an amazing 11/2/10 Sivir performance. It was a tour of force for the French AD carry and a clear sign G2 is ready to return to the LEC throne.
| Game | Kills | Deaths | Assists |
| Game 1: Miss Fortune | 10 | 1 | 5 |
| Game 2: Varus | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Game 3: Kalista | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Game 4: Sivir | 11 | 2 | 10 |
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Read More:
- MAD Lions and SK join G2 and KOI in the LEC Winter Playoff
- LEC Group 1 MVP: KOI Malrang
- KOI and G2 Ace the LEC Winter Groups
After their victory against KOI, G2 will be the final boss of the LEC playoffs. Who will Hans Sama face on Sunday and will he finally raise the LEC title that has been eluding him all that time?