A system for protecting an Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP) string from gas slugs in a downhole well environment. The system comprises an intake tube having a first and second end and one of a packer having a bypass channel and an inverted shroud coupled to the intake tube and the ESP string. The intake tube is independent of a pump and a motor of the ESP string. The system can comprise a bypass tube for channeling the gas slug downstream of the pump. The bypass tube is integrated with the packer. The inverted shroud is coupled with the first end of the intake tube and a section of production tubing downstream from the pump and the motor. The inverted shroud forms a bypass path channel within a casing annulus.