MSI 2026 Match Review – G2 Esports Versus Top Esports: G2 Recover for the First Reverse Sweep of the Tournament

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By:Devin Morris
The MSI 2026 Logo

G2 Esports and Top Esports renewed their rivalry at this year’s MSI. With every series ending 3-0, this series should break that record. It was almost not the case until G2 woke up. They earned a reverse sweep and advanced to the next round of MSI. They will face Hanwha Life Esports in the next round, while Top Esports face Team Secret Whales.

MSI 2026: Game One Review

G2 completed the reverse sweep against TES at MSI
Image of G2 reverse sweeping TES at MSI, courtesy of LoL Esports

Draft

Top Esports – Blue Side

  • Ambessa
  • Naafiri
  • Cassiopeia
  • Varus
  • Nautilus

G2 Esports – Second Pick

  • Rumble
  • Olaf
  • LeBlanc
  • Ashe
  • Braum

Creme Solo Kill

Caps tries to go aggressive on Creme, but the TES mid laner was ready and earned the First Blood kill. Fengyue overforces a play, and the Ashe and Braum respond. G2 picks up two kills, with both going to SkewMond. Tian focuses BrokenBlade to give ZUIAN a lead. TES gives up the second Drake to dive Caps and give ZUIAN more resources.

No Claps

Caps dies two more times in the top lane: once to a gank from Fengyue and a second solo to ZUIAN. The game slows down until the fourth Drake fight. Tian secures the objective, while SkewMond runs TES down. He dies in trade for two kills. BrokenBlade dies before the Drake, meaning G2 have to give TES Soul point.

G2 Miss the Engage

Labrov forces a play with a Flash Glacial Fissure. Everything misses, and TES respond. Everyone but Rumble dies as TES take the Baron. TES runs through the top lane with Baron to win game one.

Player Ratings

G2 Esports

  • BrokenBlade – 3
  • SkewMond – 6
  • Caps – 2
  • Hans Sama – 5
  • Labrov – 5

Top Esports

  • ZUIAN – 8
  • Tian – 8
  • Creme – 7
  • JackeyLove – 6
  • Fengyue – 6

Player of the Game – Tian

MSI 2026: Game Two Review

Top Esports – Blue Side

  • Renekton
  • Jarvan IV
  • Aurora
  • Ezreal
  • Neeko

G2 Esports – Second Pick

  • K’Sante
  • Xin Zhao
  • Ahri
  • Yunara
  • Lulu

Early Game Action

SkewMond ganks early to force Fengyue’s flash. Caps tries to solo kill Creme, but he gets away. Labrov arrives in time to save Caps long enough against Tian. Caps earns the First Blood kill on Tian, but dies right after. Hans Sama dies in the bot lane, losing his early lead. Tian helps Creme even out the mid lane lead with a perfectly timed dive on Caps.

G2’s Bot Lane Come Alive

Hans Sama and Labrov play their limits perfectly, and Hans Sama earns a double kill. The two teams trade top laners. Shortly after, BrokenBlade solo-kills ZUIAN. Unfortunately, he is not in time to impact the Drake fight as Tian steals the objective.

TES Fire Back

TES challenge G2 on the Rift Herald. SkewMond gets the Smite, but no one picks up the eye. TES engages and wins the fight. They start to grow their lead to 4k. Only Hans Sama has a lead for G2. G2 moves first to the Drake. However, Fengyue finds the perfect flank on Hans Sama and Caps. Both members die, and the rest of G2 fall.

Fighting Around Baron

G2 almost turns SkewMond getting caught into their favor. However, the gold difference is too much to overturn. Round 2 is entirely in TES’ favor. They kill the G2 Jungle and Bot Lane, earning the Baron. TES slams G2 on the push and wins game two.

Player Ratings

G2 Esports

  • BrokenBlade – 4
  • SkewMond – 3
  • Caps – 4
  • Hans Sama – 6
  • Labrov – 6

Top Esports

  • ZUIAN – 6
  • Tian – 8
  • Creme – 8
  • JackeyLove – 7
  • Fengyue – 8

Player of the Game – Fengyue

MSI 2026: Game Three Review

Draft

Top Esports – Blue Side

  • Sion
  • Wukong
  • Ryze
  • Aphelios
  • Thresh

G2 Esports – Second Pick

  • Kled
  • Skarner
  • Syndra
  • Xayah
  • Rakan

Early Game Action

Tian makes an early impact. He ganks BrokenBlade to earn ZUIAN a kill and does the same for his bot lane. He then tries to steal the Scuttle Crab under G2’s mid tower. He dies, and so does Fengyue. The mid-jungle from both teams burn their Summoner Spells. Tian and Caps die in the play.

Trading Blows

G2 roar to life despite BrokenBlade dying. Caps and SkewMond kill Creme. At the same time, Hans Sama and Labrov successfully dive JackeyLove. Moments later, TES regain control with a shutdown kill on Caps and Labrov. G2 tries to contest the Rift Herald. ZUIAN’s teleport prevents them from entering, and Hans Sama dies. As is the story of the game, it is G2’s turn to fight back. They earn the Cloud Soul Point and keep the pressure up to restore their gold lead.

G2 Finally Pull Away

G2 win the mid-lane fight thanks to BrokenBlade and Labrov’s engage. G2 force the Baron and earn another kill on Creme. In the following fight, G2 earn the ace and get the Baron. They move to the Cloud Drake and Ace TES again. Caps earns the pentakill, and G2 secures the Drake. They push for the end, denying the eighth consecutive MSI 3-0.

Player Ratings

G2 Esports

  • BrokenBlade – 7
  • SkewMond – 8
  • Caps – 8
  • Hans Sama – 8
  • Labrov – 9

Top Esports

  • ZUIAN – 4
  • Tian – 4
  • Creme – 5
  • JackeyLove – 4
  • Fengyue – 5

Player of the Game – Labrov

MSI 2026: Game Four Review

Draft

G2 Esports – Blue Side

  • Gnar
  • Vi
  • Twisted Fate
  • Lucian
  • Milio

Top Esports – Second Pick

  • Tristana
  • Nocturne
  • Hwei
  • Jhin
  • Karma

More Bot Lane Dominance

Hans Sama and Labrov win the early trade to force Fengyue back. They take advantage to kill JackeyLove. Unfortunately, Fengyue gets a trade kill on Labrov. TES butcher a gank on BrokenBlade. Moments later, SkewMond visits the Flashless ZUIAN and earns the kill. Caps’ first Destiny goes towards the top lane for another kill on ZUIAN.

Five Player Plays

G2 continue targeting ZUIAN, this time with five players. TES try to defend with Creme’s teleports. However, the position is bad; as a result, Creme and Tian die. TES use their turn to send players to the bot lane. They kill BrokenBlade and get the tower. At the same time, Hans Sama gets the top tower and a couple more plates. G2 forces TES away from the third Drake to deny TES’ Drake stacking.

Hans Sama Brute Forces

Hans Sama tries to finish off the mid tower without minions. He fails and loses his life alongside Labrov. G2 keep the gold lead with another side lane kill on ZUIAN. TES gets towards their Soul Point with positional advantage. BrokenBlade tries to force a fight, but he misses the GNAR1 and dies.

Picks Set Up Baron

G2 secure picks on ZUIAN and Tian. With the player advantage, they get the Baron and reset for the Drake. G2 play the map to continue building a gold lead. G2 barely win a mid fight with Caps taking out multiple structures. With TES needing to clear waves, G2 take another Baron. Caps finds another pick on ZUIAN, and they push for the end.

Player Ratings

G2 Esports

  • BrokenBlade – 6
  • SkewMond – 7
  • Caps – 8
  • Hans Sama – 7
  • Labrov – 7

Top Esports

  • ZUIAN – 3
  • Tian – 3
  • Creme – 6
  • JackeyLove – 6
  • Fengyue – 6

Player of the Game – Caps

MSI 2026: Game Five Review

Draft

G2 Esports – Blue Side

  • Anivia
  • Poppy
  • Mel
  • Sivir
  • Rell

Top Esports – Second Pick

Action Everywhere in the Early Game

SkewMond ganks ZUIAN for the First Blood kill, but dies to the tower shot. Caps lives Tian’s gank, and Labrov kills JackeyLove after a 2v2 trade. Fengyue overplays in the mid lane and dies to SkewMond. All of a sudden, G2 has a 1.5k gold lead. Caps lives with low health once again after TES commits resources on him.

G2 Respond to TES Plays

After Caps dies in the mid lane and BrokenBlade’s Egg is burnt, G2 respond. They kill Tian in the top side. Shortly after, Labrov and SkewMond help Caps get two kills on Creme and Fengyue. G2 overplay a dive and lose three members in trade for JackeyLove. Fortunately, BrokenBlade gets the First Blood tower in the top lane.

Trades Everywhere

Both teams fight for advantages and trade kills back. The two teams fight near the Baron. Everyone is low health, but in the end, G2 comes out on top. Hans Sama dies to the Baron, meaning G2 can not take the objective. However, they find a pick on Tian, and that is enough for G2 to get Baron. With all the towers dying and G2 getting more kills, they reach 9k gold.

TES Defend Time and Time Again

TES barely survives the G2 sieges, but it is enough. TES does everything they can to hang on. They almost get a chance to fight for the Hextech Drake, but Caps’ teleport in their base forces them back. The fourth siege is enough for G2 to complete the MSI reverse sweep.

Player Ratings

G2 Esports

  • BrokenBlade – 8
  • SkewMond – 8
  • Caps – 7
  • Hans Sama – 7
  • Labrov – 7

Top Esports

  • ZUIAN – 3
  • Tian – 3
  • Creme – 7
  • JackeyLove – 5
  • Fengyue – 3

Player of the Game – SkewMond

MSI 2026: Series Ratings

TES will play against TSW in the LB R1 at MSI
Image of TES Versus TSW at MSI, courtesy of LoL Esports

G2 Esports

BrokenBlade – 5.6

BrokenBlade had a weak start to the series. He struggled in the laning phase against ZUIAN. As the series went on, he grew into it and had his best performance on Anivia.

SkewMond – 6.4

SkewMond had a good start to the series on Olaf. He was the only G2 player who stood up to TES in the first game. The second game was rough, but he picked it up for the rest of the series.

Caps – 5.8

Similarly to BrokenBlade, Caps struggled in the first two games. TES targeted him and kept him down. He came alive in the rest of the series, being vital to G2’s reverse sweep.

Hans Sama – 6.6

Hans Sama was solid throughout the series. Even when G2 was struggling, he kept up his performance. He was the shining light in game two and stayed strong for the rest.

Labrov – 6.8 (Total Apex Player of the Series)

Labrov showed up big for G2 in this series. He and Hans Sama kept TES at bay during the first two games. He was unlocked in game three on the Rakan.

Top Esports

ZUIAN – 4.8

ZUIAN had an amazing start to the series. The team set him up for success, and he delivered. He never regained that form. The rookie struggled on the international stage.

Tian – 5.2

Tian looked like the LPL Tian at the start of the series. He was running the map. However, once TES lost control, he could never find an angle to get his team ahead. After the strange Scuttle Crab contest, he fell off in the series.

Creme – 6.6

Creme was the best TES player throughout the series. He was always consistent with his performance. If it were not for him in the final game, G2 would have ended much sooner.

JackeyLove – 5.6

JackeyLove never had a dominant performance in the series, but he stayed consistent. His Jhin nearly helped TES make a comeback.

Fengyue – 5.6

He was instrumental in helping TES to a 2-0 lead. He did not have the same impact in the third and fourth games. He did not look comfortable on Pantheon and made multiple mistakes.

More MSI Content

Below is all the previous MSI content on Total Apex. You can expect more MSI articles in the following weeks.

Devin Morris is a Gaming Writer and Esports Editor for Total Apex Media. Devin is a gaming fanatic from little old South Africa. Devin has had a passion for gaming and writing from a young age. Devin's early favorites were Age of Empires, FIFA and Need for Speed games. As Devin grew older he moved into more competitive gaming, focusing on Overwatch, League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics. Devin also sinks way too many hours into Destiny 2!

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