Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
With rumors swirling around about his future at G2 Esports, BABYBAY isn’t hiding from the moment; he’s leaning into it. Speaking at Champions Shanghai’s pre-event press conference, he told Ult Orb that playing in possibly his last tournament with this roster gives the team a unique edge going into Champs.
In recent weeks, the rumor mill has been running high despite G2’s season not being over yet. With the offseason just a few weeks away, in-game leader valyn has been rumored to be moving to LYON, while G2 is rumored to be in talks with LEVIATÁN’s kiNgg and sato.
He didn’t confirm anything outright, but BABYBAY made clear that the uncertainty hanging over the roster has changed how the team is approaching this tournament.
“For some of us, it does feel like it’s a last ride,” he told Ult Orb’s jenopelle. “I can’t officially say anything crazy, but I think that that gives you, like, a superpower going into tournaments like this when you know it could be your last tournament with the same five that you have.”
Read: Can LOUD keep up the volume in Shanghai?
That mentality has bled into how the team is spending its time off stage in Shanghai, too.
“We just went to the spa together; it was insane,” BABYBAY said with a smile. “Shanghai has some crazy spas here, and we were able to de-stress and have a lot of fun.”
“It really makes you grateful for every single moment that you have left,” he said. “Man, we just wanna win for each other. It’s really easy to block out the outside noise. We’ve all been hanging out, having a great time, really enjoying each other’s presence.”
It’s that closeness at the final hour, BABYBAY suggested, that makes G2 dangerous heading into this Champs run. He says it makes G2 a team playing not just for a title, but for one another, with the clock potentially running out on this The Guard-centered particular core.
He said: “I think that is what makes this last Champs run, last Champs in partnership, really scary to play against us.”
G2, the fourth seed out of Americas, will kick off its Champions Shanghai run on the first day of action, taking on China’s top seed in TYLOO. The match will be the second of opening day, taking place on September 24 at 5 a.m. PST/8 a.m.EST, or 8 p.m. local time.
Stay tuned with Ult Orb as we partake in media opportunities before and during the event.
