In the final match of the MSI 2025 Play-In Stage, G2 Esports clinched a 3–2 victory over GAM Esports in a full-set thriller to secure the last berth in the bracket stage. Despite waves of relentless aggression from GAM—like a goblin constantly stalking its prey—G2 held firm, maintaining focus through every skirmish to emerge triumphant.

G2 Esports leveraged a sturdy team composition to grab the first win. They established early control in the bottom lane, opening up the map, but were pressured back when GAM’s mid laner and jungler grew strong in tandem. Once the teams clashed in full-scale team fights, the advantages of Renekton, Alistar, and Trundle shone through repeatedly, allowing G2 to decisively close out the game. Top laner Sergen "BrokenBlade" Çelik, piloting Renekton, put any doubts to rest with a commanding performance.

G2 found themselves in jeopardy at the outset of Game 2, as GAM’s bottom lane orchestrated two disastrous skirmishes. In a 2v2 jungle clash, GAM’s Pantheon secured a double kill, and their Nautilus snagged a pull on G2’s Lucian to net another double kill bot. Yet G2’s mid laner Rasmus "Caps" Borregaard Winther, on Ryze, punished GAM missteps—particularly by cashing in on Corki’s excess gold—swinging the momentum back. From there, G2’s methodical, risk-averse play secured the 2–0 series lead.

Facing elimination, GAM bounced back in Game 3. Though it was a hard-fought battle, they gained lane priority in the top lane and saw dividends from swapping their underperforming mid laner. G2’s surprise Jungle Nunu pick failed to make an impact, and a misstep during a Rift Scuttler contest compounded their woes, allowing GAM to snowball and claim their first win.

GAM leveled the series in Game 4, to the dismay of G2’s fanbase. Despite G2’s decision to first-pick Kai’Sa and Leona on blue side—a sign of confidence in their bottom lane strength—they showed little follow-through. GAM answered with early Caitlyn priority, dominating the lane and racking up four kills between top and bottom before ten minutes. A bot-lane tower dive with full commitment secured yet another multi-kill, and GAM closed the game with time to spare.

In the final set, G2 reclaimed control. Jungler Rudy "SkewMond" Semaan early plays put his team ahead, and although GAM kept pace through mid-game, the decisive moment came around the Rift Scuttler. G2 initiated the fight; as GAM counterattacked, Caps landed a game-ending Annie ultimate on three of GAM’s carries. That single team fight granted G2 roughly 5,000 gold, which they expertly snowballed to seal the series.

With this victory, G2 Esports advances to the MSI bracket stage, where matchups are now set as: Gen.G vs. G2, Alliance vs. FlyQuest, CFO vs. T1, and MKO International vs. Bilibili Gaming. Though G2 entered with concerns over their historically poor record versus Vietnamese squads and occasional inconsistencies from BrokenBlade, their resilience under pressure proved the mettle of a top-tier team. Meanwhile, GAM’s valiant performance in a full five-game series against a major-league opponent left a lasting impression on fans, despite the narrow defeat.