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G2 Esports' Perkz talks changing lanes and his year so far
G2 Esports are double domestic winners, Mid-Season Invitational champions and Worlds contenders this season and Perkz's lane shift put the momentum into the team's run. He fills us in on the move.
What a year it's been for G2 Esports. Champions of both LEC Spring and Summer Splits, heading to international heights by bringing the MSI trophy home to Europe for the first time and taking Europe's first seed for this year's World Championship.
Most of all, it's been an interesting year for Luka 'Perkz' Perković, who switched over from the midlane down to the botlane to pave the way for Rasmus 'Caps' Winther, who's helped make G2 stand out from the rest of the pack with his solid performances.
Changing lanes, especially in pro League of Legends, is no mean feat, yet Perkz has made it look almost effortless. However, he tells us it's been much tougher than it seems.
"I adapted well, but it's much harder than it looks, because it's different than midlane," he says. "It requires a lot of mental change. I think I can play any champion in the game, but playing the new role is much tougher than you think it would be. Other than that, I think I performed really well."
I don't know if I'm a mid or a botlaner. I'm probably just a LoL player. That’s how I see myself
Perkz has certainly shown that he can play almost any champion, as evidenced with his unorthodox Syndra pick in the Summer Final against Fnatic, but his picks and selections have recently been based on what the team's needed. After all, League of Legends is a team game and for you to succeed, being able to draft the best champions when needed is crucial – and Perkz has been on fire.
"I played mostly AD Carries this year, because that's what the team needed the most," Perkz explains. "If the meta changes to more botlane majors, or in general more AP changes in the meta, then I will be playing those, but right now I'm just an AD Carrier."
Caps has slotted in neatly into the G2 fold, bringing with him a sense of playfulness, raw ability and, crucially, fun. When G2 are in their stride, they really do look like they're enjoying themselves on stage and Perkz has plenty to rave about his team-mate. "Caps brings a lot of creativity, he likes to play aggressively, which we all do," he says. "So, his in-game plays just fits with our core, which was Martin 'Wunder' Hansen, Marcin 'Jankos' Jankowski and me. Caps and Mihael 'Mikyx' Mehle are both similar in that way and share that style."
Few LoL pros have changed lanes, even fewer have managed to do it successfully and it seems only G2 Esports have made it work on the biggest stage in Europe. When we quizzed Perkz on if he thinks any pro can do it, he succinctly answered, "No."
Perkz certainly showed up during the tense LEC Summer Finals
© Riot Games
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That's part testament to Perkz's own skills as a player, but he also doesn't want to label himself as being really locked into any one lane and that both lanes that he has played are fairly similar.
"I don't know if I'm a mid or a botlaner, I just play all the champs that have to be played. I'm probably just a LoL player. That's how I see myself,” he says. "The biggest similarity is that they are both carrier roles in a way. Midlane carrier is earlier in the game, whereas AD Carry is later in the game. The biggest difference is, obviously, that you're sharing a lane with support. Everything you do, you do together. It depends on the champions, but the biggest difference is probably the dependency on everyone else."
When asked if he'd ever thought about changing roles at all, Perkz surprised us with his answer. "I'm pretty sure I thought about it, but I didn't think about it seriously," He confirms. "When we lost 3–0 to Misfits last year, that's when I first thought about it, actually. I didn't think it was going to happen, but life is strange sometimes."
After a dynamite year and with Worlds on the horizon, there's plenty for Perkz to get stuck into and after he's shown his dedication to the team by changing lanes and sticking with them through everything, there's almost nothing he wouldn't do for G2. When asked about his future, though, he gives us a rather relaxed answer. "Next year, I would probably like to chill a bit more."
Hopefully, with some extra silverware in the cabinet, too.
