To a competitive player a lower tier LAN means less than what champs is. Go into any of their streams and ask if qualifying champs is more important than winning iceland.
Look at it with league. Do you think a team is happy they hit semi in their regional torny, instead of making worlds? Even if you lose in groups, that event is more prestigious, and a bigger achievement than the previous events.
you also seem to forget that prize pools from events are a nice bonus, but not the main money maker from pro players. Sponsors and wages are their main brunt of money they earn.
what would you think would mean more to a runner. Coming third in nationals, not qualifying. Or qualifying for olympics just to come last? Olympics for sure. It's the biggest event for the sport, aswell as ethe most prestigious. No matter his placement, his can put on his CV that he qualified for the largest event in the sport.
That's why going to the biggest event is a bigger achievment than getting to semis. Sure g2 made more money. However do you really think they'd rather hit semis, not qual for champs. Or not make it to semis and go to champs? I can nearly promise you that they'd rather go to champs, than get the chump change they got.
Also when I reference chump change. Each of these players are most likely getting paid 10k or above. Their prizepool was 85k, with that being split with 7 people, not evenly, but still split. It's why prizepools aren't the main money maker, over just wanting to win.