At both Worlds 2016 and 2017, G2 failed to score enough wins to progress out of Groups Stage. And during the Mid-Season Invitational 2017, G2 failed to take the crown from South Korean legends SK Telecom T1. That defeat resulted in a lot of backlash against the European team.

When Season 8 started, all of Perkz’s teammates had left the organization, leaving him to help build and lead the new team.

But the new roster wasn’t able to recapture the same dominant performance that G2 was famous for. They couldn’t even make the top four in the Summer Split, losing in a horrendous fashion to Misfits in the European Summer Playoffs.

But G2 didn’t give up. They switched up their playstyle, focusing on their bot laner Hjarnan and their top laner Wunder. Suddenly something seemed to click for the team, and G2 battled their way through the gauntlet to secure a third-seed spot in the Worlds Play-Ins.

On Monday, they faced their final obstacle in making it to Quarterfinals.

Thanks to a baron kill, G2 managed to push through to Flash Wolves’ base, attacking from all three lanes. Perkz was alone on the top lane as his teammate took down the bottom inhibitor turret. That’s when Flash Wolves made a desperation play and tackled Perkz. But his Irelia was a deadly whirl of blades, refusing to go down before he took the top inhibitor turret. He kept Flash Wolves’ top laner Hanabi busy, Bladesurging and dancing around the Urgot, but eventually Perkz died. Still, his death provided enough distraction for the rest of his team to collapse in around the nexus turrets.

As his respawn timer ticked down, Perkz watched his team rip apart the enemy nexus, finally securing that Quarterfinals spot for G2.

There were no victory screams or happy team piles at first. Instead, members of G2 looked shellshocked. G2’s support Wadid looked completely drained, sitting at his station with his head in his hands, while his teammates slowly looked around and smiled in relief at each other.

This is the first time G2 Esports made it to the Quarterfinals. For Perkz, it was his third attempt at making the Worlds Quarterfinals. It wasn’t the smoothest run for the organization, but it seems that G2 has finally found their comfort style.

While he praised his teammates’ incredible performance, Perkz was a little less complimentary about himself.

We’ll now have to wait and see if Perkz can meet his own high standards during the knockout rounds of Worlds 2018. The Quarterfinals begin in Busan, South Korea on October 20.

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