G2 Esports jungler SkewMond reflected on a dramatic five-game series win at the Mid-Season Invitational 2025 vs GAM Esports. Speaking on stage after the match, he shared thoughts on his bold Game 5 Viego pick, the team’s progress throughout the tournament, and the upcoming clash with Gen.G and legendary jungler Canyon.

Before advancing to the main bracket of MSI 2025, G2 Esports had to endure a challenging Play-In stage, battling hard to secure their spot. Earlier in the tournament, the team suffered a 0:3 defeat to Bilibili Gaming, underscoring the high level of competition and the need for growth. That experience proved a catalyst for improvement as G2 learned from their mistakes and prepared for tougher matches ahead.

In the decisive five-game series, SkewMond showed remarkable confidence by choosing a bold Viego pick in Game 5. Reflecting on this moment, he said:

It was such a long series, I don’t even remember the first game. I just know that I messed up so many early games. But I’m pretty happy that I had the confidence to just pick the Viego... I’m really happy with the win.

  

Throughout the tournament, the team’s cohesion and confidence visibly grew, something SkewMond himself acknowledged:

I think I’m way more confident on stage right now... When I watch our first BO5 against FURIA, I think we’re playing way more together.

   

For SkewMond, this marked his first international experience on stage, adding emotional weight to their success:

Since we didn’t win LEC, the best thing that could happen to us was going through play-ins... I just hope we’ll be able to play against the best teams in the world.

  

Still, not everything was smooth — the 0:3 loss against Bilibili Gaming served as a harsh reminder of the competition’s strength and offered valuable lessons:

We got stomped really hard. It’s fine. I think we took some good lessons from that best of five.

   

The next challenge is a matchup against Gen.G, with special focus on the jungle duel against Canyon — one of the world’s best players:

It’s such a dream for me to play against a big player like Canyon... I just hope I’ll be able to show that I can actually compete against the best in the world.

  

After a long series, the team will take some rest and work on consistency going forward:

We’ll have a bit of rest after this long series. I just hope we’ll bring more consistency into the series... My Nunu didn’t get worked. I’m pretty sad. But maybe I can pick it into Gen.G next week.

   

The Play-In victory secured G2’s path to the MSI 2025 main bracket, where they will face Korean league leaders Gen.G. This matchup represents a significant test for the team and especially for SkewMond, who is eager to prove himself on the global stage. Rest and strategic refinement will be key steps before the upcoming challenge.

The Mid-Season Invitational 2025 takes place from June 27 to July 12 in Canada, with a prize pool of $2,000,000. You can follow the news, schedule, and results of the tournament via this link.