From competitor to owner

Team Kinguin CS:GO that sooner became Gamers2 and then G2 Esports.

From left: fox, dennis, rain, ScreaM, Maikelele, dalito (coach).

"Well after trying to qualify for Challenger Series four times in a row it feels actually very good to be able to storm the EU LCS. At the same time, I feel like we showed a certain level of maturity when we, after the first split, decided to change our Botlane. And even though this move kind of sandbagged us at MSI, we believed that it was the right call if we wanted to be able to contest to do well in Worlds. And so far it worked during the split at least, but let’s see if it's gonna work during Worlds. That’s the biggest question."

"I don't want to call anything in regards to how well or bad the scrims went or are going against international teams, but my personal take on this is that we have a very good team and we should be at least striving to do well in Worlds. I don't know how well but our guys are good enough to do well. That's all I know and all I'd like to say!!!!"

"I feel better when they win than when I was winning myself. "

"Every player is different. Some players will need some sort of freedom and then you need to give them the freedom, and some players will benefit a lot from structure. When I talk about talent management, then it’s just not only one way. You can’t just say it’s one way of managing talent. There are infinite ways and there is as many ways as number of players because every player is different. The job of the club is to be able to read their players, understand what they need and what they want and then provide it to them", he says when I ask him about discipline.

"When it comes to miss being a player,... I don’t really miss being a player. I actually played enough to be fed up. And also the life of a CEO of a club is super fun right now! I do so much different stuff and I love it so much, but I don’t think I’ll ever become a player again because that’s a part of my life that’s already gone. I don’t really feel bad when my team is playing. In fact I feel better when they win than when I was winning myself, because I feel like I'm being a part of the success in a way. And be able to have any sort of impact in a teams success is actually really hard in todays' esports. To be able to make a difference makes me feel very happy."

The video where Ocelote announced his retirement as a professional player

"I mean, every single team we have in G2 is actually performing quite well, and I think it's a combination of being able to hire good talent and to manage it successfully. Also to be able to put together environments that help the players improve their game and simply be better. So I think that our staff team in G2 is really good at helping our players become the best they can be. And it's the same goal for the staff. I feel that we got a very good culture within the club that allows everyone, and kind of pushes everyone to be the best they can be, whatever it is that they are doing."

"I personally consider myself pretty ruthless and emotionless in these kind of matters, and I think that definitely reflects in the approach G2 as a whole has with content. I like H2k's owner Susan a lot, just like I like Fnatic's, Splyce's, and almost every other team owner in the scene, but that doesn't keep me away from just having fun with our content, you know. It's brand against brand and it's just fun. It creates a show. And I believe that this is something that EU LCS misses. More storylines, more drama, more rivalries. You can love or hate G2, but you definitely know who we are, and you certainly are going to watch our games."

The criticized video depicting the G2 LoL players vandalizing other team's logos

"We know very clearly what we are and what we want to be, and it has been very clear from the beginning. Our content is just a reflection of our approach to G2 Esports as a brand. We created G2 when there was no villain. A club that some people love to love and some people love to hate. With the common denominator that everyone know it exists. The Real Madrid of esports."

"My goal is that G2 is the most loved, the most hated and the most impactful brand within esports"

"TSM is the biggest brand in terms of brand awareness in the game of League of Legends. And I feel like not many really hate on TSM. I feel like the branding of TSM is great, I love TSM as a brand, just as I love Cloud9, I also love CLG and their branding. Also Fnatic, a pretty cool brand, majorily known for being one of the oldest brands within esports.



But there was no Real Madrid really. There was no one that people hated except for the fans of that brand. And then that brand happened to have the biggest fan base, right, so that's what we strive to be. My goal is that G2 becomes the most loved, the most hated and the most impactful brand within esports."

"It doesn't take a genius to identify that clubs, so far, got the shorter end of the stick when it comes down to the return of investment"

"First of all, I think that Reginald is a fantastic, very good businessman... I mean, he knows how to do business obviously. He created one of the most successful brands within League of Legends. Most of the facts he mentioned surrounding the stipends and revenue streams are mostly shared between the rest of the team owners.



Regarding this topic about Riot Games and club's League of Legends teams, it doesn't take a genius to identify that clubs, so far, got the shorter end of the stick when it comes down to the return of investment around their League of Legends teams. However, I think there is a chance that Riot Games will collaborate from a position of love instead of from a position of fear, if we are completely honest with what's happening.



In other words, it's not the same to say: "Hello Riot we want X Y Z", than if we come and say: "Riot, the current revenue generation scheme feels very obsolete. We are not able to break even with our League of Legends teams, as there is simply not enough monetary upside on our end. We will remain in this position for as long as we possibly can, but there is a very likely chance that, at some point, money is going to run out and we are going to be forced to drop our teams or sell our slots. We want League of Legends to be a sustainable business endeavour for anyone that wants to partake in it, and the current structure does not allow this to be the case. We urge you to help us out finding a solution, as there is a great chance some of the clubs will already be looking to drop their teams come next year." - Voilá, you have a positive conversation, and you allow Riot Games to see where you really stand as a team."

"G2 Esports take a total of 0% prize pool from our players and 0% of any streaming revenue"

"Franchising is one of many ways you can kind of make the ecosystem more balanced. But there are a thousand billions, infinite ways to make it more sustainable. Let's imagine for a second that the club would get so much money from just being in the league, then I'm almost positive that no club would be complaining, because we don't care in which way or form the money is coming. The only thing we care about is that our teams provide a positive return of investment for us. And today, the League of Legends team doesn't.", he says

"No, no! The prize pool doesn't have anything to do with that. Moreover, we at G2 Esports take a total of 0% prize pool from our players and 0% of any streaming revenue. It's about the overall structure of how the league is designed. This was a perfect structure 4-5 years ago. But right now it's too outdated for the new variables in place."

"Well, I'm obviously biased, since I'm a club owner. But the one and only way to fix this is for everyone to acknowledge everyone as important. For example; Without a committed community, there is no sustainability. Without very good professional players, there is no sport that makes you jump off your chair. Without very good esports clubs, there is no high player salaries, emotional content or sense of belonging for the fan, as player careers are rather short when compared to a club's lifespan. And without a very good game, all of the mentioned things will be part of a different game. Everyone is an equal part of the success of this industry, and it is not so much about finding this one way to make everyone happy, but rather to intrinsically acknowledge every party as important."

G2 hoists its second EU LCS trophy of the 2016 season | Foto: Riot Games

Worlds waiting around the corner

"I expect Perkz to play better than people expect. I expect Zven to have 10 minions a minute and to always be fed somehow. I expect Trick to fuck everyone up. I expect Mithy not to be able to play that ugly fat champion that swallows his mates. Swallows, Jesus, can you actually say that word?

"That's all I can expect, because in terms of results, I have no idea.", he says while laughing.

"If we manage to pass the group stage i would love to see a TSM-G2 in the quarter finals"

"I feel like every group is very balanced. I would say that group B is probably the hardest in terms of knowing who goes out of the groups. But I feel that every group is very very balanced. I feel like we’re so so lucky that we’re having so balanced groups. It could've been an absolute catastrophe in one of the groups with G2 having second seed essentially, plus… it could've been TSM, G2, SKT, and Cloud9… Imagine that! My eyeballs would’ve dropped onto the ground. And I wouldn't be able to see anything anymore."

"Hmm… that would be RoX which are in our group. But I feel like honestly. I expect a quarter finals against TSM - I FEEL it!

"Actually, wait wait wait, haha! I would rather say it like this; IF we pass the group stage. Wait wait, let’s put this properly because I don’t want to put pressure into my players; If we manage to pass the group stage i would love to see a TSM-G2 in the quarter finals!"

"People should be aware that I can jump at any time as the midlaner! DISCLAIMER: Eyeballs will bleed and or drop simultaneously. Nah but another thing is that during Summer Split, at times, we used the angry twin of Perkz. The other one was in the time chamber in Korea all this time. Now we got him back and fired his twin!", he says, tongue in cheek.



Translation: Sam "Wndwrt" Nordmark

Pictures: Riot Games Flickr



He's considered to be one of League of Legend's most recognized and veteran faces, and in the seven years that have passed since the LoL beta his career has shifted from competing to owning two of the bigger franchises in both League of Legends and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.After a three-year stint together with SK Gaming, Rodriguez's ambitions became more centered around the prospect of building something of his own. So in November of 2013, Ocelote started what used to be known as Gamers2. The team's primary focus was a Polish CS:GO-squad featuring players such as "Jacek" MINISE" Jeziak, Mikołaj "mouz" Karolewski and Karol "rallen" Radowicz. This roster represented Gamers2 for a total of seven months, after which the entirety of Team Kinguin joins the team, bringing marquee players like Mikail "Maikelele" Bill, Dennis "dennis" Edman and Adil "ScreaM" Benrlitom to the fold.In October 2015, Gamers2 underwent significant restructure and sowed the seeds for what would eventually become one of the biggest brands in esports: G2 Esports.At the same time the CS:GO roster underwent changes, G2 Esports formed its first LoL-team consisting of players like "Jesper "Jwaow" Strandgren, Sebastián "Morden" Esteban Fernández and Hugo "Dioud" Padioleau. Ocelote himself even competed with this line-up until February 2015, until he decided to quit professional gaming. One and a half years later, he's gotten to see his team win both the Spring and Summer Split in the European LCS, and will now be watching them fight in the World Championship.When I get a hold of Ocelote, he's enjoying a stay in Cannes with his family, and a baby can be heard shouting in the background. When asked whether or not he feels good waking up every morning given his brand's success, he admits that he's happy but still adamant about how the team performs at Worlds.I take a short pause before asking: "Do they feel more prepared for Worlds as pretty much all teams that competed at MSI will be present this year? Does the team feel stronger due to the addition of Zven and Mithy to the botlane?" The owner is quick to reign himself in and doesn't want to give anything away regarding the team's bootcamp in South Korea, yet does sound confident when he says that he believes the team will impress on the world stage.At this point in time, it's almost become common practice to bootcamp prior to big international tournaments. Aside from workout routines, things like diet and regular sleeping patterns are also taken very seriously. However, nothing is iron-clad in this regard, as people tend to all react differently.During the conversation, I can't help but think if he misses competing. "Is there any chance that you make a comeback competitively," I ask, to which Ocelote replies that he's happy with where he is.So then what is the key behind G2's success? Currently the organization fields one of the top ranked CS:GO teams in the world, as well as an incredibly successful LoL division, placing Ocelote in a more than comfortable situation in comparison to most owners. Ocelote himself attributes this success to how he's chosen to run the company.It's obvious during our conversation that Ocelote is incredibly proud of what he's built over the years and his connection to the brand is definitely strong - probably because it seems to reflect his own outgoing persona. In the week prior to the conclusion of the Summer season, G2 released a hype video in which the G2 players ridiculed every other brand in the league by vandalizing posters and smashing merchandise. One scene, in particular, was even criticized heavily due to its controversial content, as toplaner Dae-Han "Expect" Ki is depicted urinating on the logo of H2K at a bus stop.When I remind Ocelote of this moment I ask if there's any bad blood between the two teams, Ocelote laughs and explains:During our conversation, it becomes obvious that Ocelote is a soccer fanatic. But then again, considering the fact that the 26-year old is a Madrid native, it'd be more shocking if he didn't have a fascination for the sport, and he often mentions Real Madrid in the phone call.When I point out that G2 are slightly reminiscent of Team SoloMid, I wonder if he compares the two franchises. Ocelote isn't convinced, however, and says that the European teams are lacking something the North American teams seem to have."We continue on the topic of TSM given the very public conflict between Andy "Reginald" Dinh and Riot Games CEO Marc Merrill. In an interview with theScore Esports, the Reginald called some of the developer's actions in certain cases as "fucking ridiculous", among other things. When I ask Ocelote if he agrees with the TSM CEO, he argues that it could've been done in a better manner.I ask him about what the solution to all of the recent criticism is. How can the needs of players, teams and Riot all be tended to in the current climate? When the topic of franchising comes up, Ocelote is adamant about franchising being a part of a solution, but that it isn't one in and of itself., I ask.I continue.What was persistent all throughout our 30-minute phone call was that happiness, humor, and positivity, combined with his competitive mentality are essential parts of his own personality. This became even more apparent when I asked what he expects of his team's performance at Worlds.G2 have been placed into a group along with North American fan favorites CLG, the Korean champions ROX Tigers and the Russian Wildcard team Albus NoX Luna. Ocelote comments that the best thing about this year's group drawing is that all four groups are very balanced in comparison to previous years."", i ask., I laugh.At the end of our call, I ask Ocelote why other teams should fear playing against G2, and once again the owner gives me another humorus reply that left a grin on my face even after we hung up: