G2 Esports made a strong return in the LEC Summer Split following a disappointing showing at the Mid-Season Invitational but a more respectable performance at the Esports World Cup. On Saturday, August 9th, the team secured a clean sweep against Team Heretics in their opening best-of series, winning two well-controlled games. Rasmus "Caps" Winther granted Sheep Esports an interview after the match to discuss the victory, lessons learned from MSI and EWC, who he hopes to see at Worlds alongside G2, and his current favorite champion to play.

You just beat Team Heretics to start your Summer Split. How do you feel about the series and the start of the split?

Rasmus "Caps" Winther: It was certainly a very strong start for us. We took some valuable lessons away from MSI and the Esports World Cup, and I was curious to see how they would translate to the European stage. So far, we have all put in a great deal of work and are connecting extremely well. I am very pleased with that, and if we maintain this level, I believe we are heading towards a very good Summer.

In Game 2, the lane phase didn’t start well, but Rudy "SkewMond" Semaan’s gank turned things around. Do you feel your mid-jungle synergy is looking stronger this Summer?

Caps: We have a good understanding and have learned a lot from our past experiences. That gank was really well-timed and helped me a lot. It’s still a bit early to say if we’ve improved, but so far, both in scrims and on stage, we’ve definitely been performing better. I think we’re playing very well as a duo, which is great to see. Overall, we also have a clearer perspective on the game as a team, which makes our strategy stand out more. I’m happy with the games we played today. The laning phase in Game 2 wasn’t the easiest early on, but we managed to punish the Viktor quite well afterward, and from there, the game swung in our favor.

Movistar KOI and G2 didn’t play in Week 1, and Quentin "Zeph" Viguié mentioned KOI resumed scrims late as some players visited family in Spain. How was it for G2 after the EWC?

Caps: We took a week off. I returned to Denmark for a few days before heading back to Berlin. It was nice to see my family, especially since I rarely get the chance to travel during the summer. Fortunately, we managed to carve out a few days for a break. We resumed practice two weeks ago, carrying with us many lessons learned from MSI. We got stomped but it also opened our eyes. We've been attempting to incorporate many of the strategies employed by LPL and LCK teams against us, and so far, this approach has been effective in scrims.

The games feel significantly more fluid and engaging, and our objectives in-game have become much clearer. I'm genuinely pleased with everyone's efforts up to this point. Although it is still early in the split, we have a long journey ahead if we want to compete with the best at Worlds. Moreover, the game will likely undergo numerous changes along the way, so we must remain vigilant and adaptable. Overall, I’m optimistic and hopeful that we can maintain this level of commitment and passion, as it has been great so far.

G2 struggled against Bilibili Gaming and FlyQuest at MSI but performed better against them at the EWC. How do you explain this improvement?

Caps: Coming into MSI, we were focused on the EU meta, which emphasized drafting and objective control, moving from one objective to another with little action in between. At MSI, especially against LPL and LCK teams, but also other regions, we realized there’s constant fighting and proactive play—something we couldn’t match. We were too tunnel-visioned on big fights and rarely reached those moments.

At the EWC, we shifted to playing more individually, creating plays ourselves, grouping when necessary without overcommitting, and focusing on what we do best. This approach worked better, though we still struggled against the strongest teams. Compared to previous splits, it now feels like we’ve stepped up in Europe—the game feels more coherent, and we’re playing much more aggressively and proactively, which makes it more enjoyable.

Do you think competing at MSI and the EWC gives G2 and KOI an advantage going into the Summer Split—for example, over KC and Fnatic, who didn’t attend?

Caps: We learned a lot from attending MSI and EWC, so in that sense, it does give us an advantage. I don't know what Karmine Corp gained from MSI, but of course, they also had the chance to face some of the world’s best at the First Stand. Ultimately, it’s about taking the opportunities you’re given and making the most of them. I’m really excited to see what we can bring here—and hopefully at Worlds as well.

We’ve discussed G2, KOI, and KC—what about Fnatic? They’ve benched Marek "Humanoid" Brázda and brought in Yun "Poby" Sung-won. Do you think they can make a real impact this Summer and secure a spot at Worlds?

Caps: Fnatic can definitely contend with the top three. Even before this, they finished fourth in Spring and were already close to breaking through, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them at Worlds. The roster change did catch me off guard, and I’m not entirely sure how they’ll perform this split, but they certainly have a lot of potential and strong players. If Poby proves to be the key piece that drives changes behind the scenes, then that’s great for them—and they could become a genuinely dangerous team.

If Fnatic were to qualify for Worlds, who do you think would miss out between KC and KOI?

Caps: Maybe KOI. It would be great to go to Worlds with KC and Fnatic. With Mikyx (Mihael Mehle) and Yike (Martin Sundelin), it’d be fun to see all of us there again this year and find out who performs best. And if I’m lucky, maybe I get to knock one of them out.

I imagine you’ve faced off against Fnatic and Poby in scrims. Where would you rank him among LEC midlaners?

Caps: We’ve played three games against Fnatic so far, and they looked fine. I didn’t notice anything in particular about him—he was solid, didn’t make many mistakes, but didn’t really shine either. It’s hard to judge from just three games, but he could be a good addition if it improves their overall team environment. Sometimes a change like that can boost the performance of other players too, creating a snowball effect. It’ll be fun to play against them, but our goal is to take them down and lock in first place in our group.

In the LCK, Gwak "Bdd" Bo-sung pick Malzahar into Annie. Do you think that’s a strong lane counter, or is it not worth it since Malzahar can struggle to stay effective in the mid and late game?

Caps: I have played this matchup a few times in solo queue, and Annie tends to hold a clear advantage during the laning phase. Malzahar’s early game presence is not particularly strong; while you can attempt to farm with your Q and E, applying meaningful pressure is difficult as Annie’s damage output generally exceeds his. His main advantage is that she cannot kill him before his shield is broken. However, in lane, removing that shield is relatively easy for Annie due to her long range. Beyond the laning phase, in situations where they might encounter each other in the river or during skirmishes, Annie can burst Malzahar down once the shield is gone.

Malzahar, conversely, can always ult Annie, and if she is caught alone, she will likely die. This dynamic does give him some potential in specific scenarios. That said, Annie generally contributes more overall — in 5v5s, she brings stronger impact, in 2v2s she offers more threat, and she maintains a stronger laning phase. Malzahar requires more creativity, relying on finding advantageous 2v1s situations. He can play more safely while still punishing mistakes, but if Annie can find fights, she will probably come out ahead.

Given the current meta and your recent scrims, which midlane champion do you feel most comfortable or enjoy playing the most?

Caps: There are a lot of fun champions in the current meta, but I’d say Azir is my favorite to play. It’s been a while since I last played him—I managed to get one game at EWC. Usually, he’s either picked very early or banned, which can be a bit frustrating, but whenever I get the chance, it’s always enjoyable. The early game can be a bit slow, but Azir offers so much versatility later on. I’d love to play more games with him.

Zhuo "knight" Ding or Lee "Scout" Ye-chan often build Luden's Companion on Orianna for a more aggressive style. Why did you prefer Rod of Ages today?

Caps: Luden’s has a lot of potential and I like using it as well, but it depends on the game. Today, Rod of Ages made it harder for Viktor to poke me out with E, and since they had to find engages on me—especially with Rakan diving in—it cut off a lot of their options and made those plays much harder.