League of Legends Champions Korea has had many good teams over the years, but in 2022, following an amazing performance by T1, it appeared that no other team would ever shine as brilliantly. Indeed, looking back on the Spring Season, it’s hard to see LCK club DRX as League of Legends World Championship contenders, but their unexpected climb has made their narrative one of the most interesting in esports this year.
Coming into the inaugural domestic season of 2022 with a new squad, no one knew what to expect from DRX. Fans had anticipated that support player Cho ‘BeryL’ Geon-hee, who had recently transferred from DWG KIA, would make an impact, but most eyes were set on new botlaner Kim ‘Deft’ Hyuk-kyu to make the most impression in Spring.
At first, it appeared that the team simply did not click, as they dropped both of their opening weekend matches, but a win over Kwangdong Freecs in Week 2 allowed them to regain some momentum. DRX eventually finished fourth, but were eliminated from the playoffs in the quarterfinals by KDF.
Summer began more promisingly for DRX, with the squad going undefeated for the first two weeks. Unfortunately, the team’s winning streak was short-lived, as they were defeated by Liiv SANDBOX and T1 in week 3. This second domestic season would be much harder for DRX, as they finished sixth, just making the playoffs with a 9-9 record. DRX were then eliminated in the quarterfinals yet again, this time by SANDBOX.
A chance at Worlds
Following the sad conclusion of the Summer Playoffs, DRX were given one final chance to salvage their season in the LCK Regional Finals. This special battle to determine the third and fourth Korean teams to qualify for Worlds was exactly what DRX needed, as the team finally gelled.
World-class
![KeSPA Cup] DRX Doran: "I don't know how other teams are, but here, it's really fun and noisy." - Inven Global](https://static.invenglobal.com/upload/image/2019/12/29/o1577639617530145.jpeg)
As most League fans are already aware, what happened next will go down in esports history. As the region’s lower seed team, DRX had the odds stacked against them going into the competition, as they would have to battle their way through the Play-In stage before they could even compete in the tournament proper.
DRX began their Worlds voyage in Mexico City, defeating all five opponents in Group B, including Royal Never Give Up, MAD Lions, and Saigon Buffalo. With a 5-0 victory, they topped Group B and advanced to the Main Event.
The Cinderella narrative continued in the Main Event Group Stage, as DRX demonstrated their capabilities. Deft shone against Top Esports, and midlaner Kim ‘Zeka’ Geon-woo delivered a strong performance in a match with GAM. Losses to Top Esports and European squad Rogue didn’t dampen the spirits of the high flyers, who advanced to the knockout stage as the top-ranked team in Group C courtesy to a tiebreaker victory over Rogue.
As the quarter-finals began, it became evident that DRX was on a magical run. After a dramatic five-game series against China’s EDward Gaming, DRX pulled off a stunning reverse sweep, advancing to the semi-finals where they would face rival LCK club Gen.G.
Over four nail-biting games, DRX outperformed Gen.G, defeating the LCK’s top seed. Now the stage was set for a Grand Final that nearly no one expected: DRX vs T1.
DRX’s improbable path to the final was paralleled by T1’s perfect performance throughout the tournament. Now, Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok and Deft, who share a history as Mapo High School alumni, would face off on the largest platform in LoL gaming for one dramatic final battle.
With Faker nearing the end of his career, he was hoping to add a fourth Worlds trophy to his collection, while Deft was searching for his first Worlds win before quitting esports for required military service.
While DRX took First Blood in the first game, T1 would win this one thanks to a steady, measured style of play. DRX fought back in Game 2, pressuring Faker and forcing T1 into violent team battles, the majority of which DRX won.
T1 advanced to match point in Game 3, but DRX evened the odds in Game 4, bringing things down to one last all-or-nothing showdown. For much of the final fight, the two titans remained on equal footing until DRX broke through at 40 minutes, defeating the Elder Dragon and gaining the power boost required to storm T1’s base.
Final note!
Against all odds, DRX had succeeded. After a disappointing local season, they had risen through the ranks on the international arena to become the first team from Play-Ins to win the World Championship. Deft’s bittersweet moment couldn’t have come at a better time. With a new lineup set to debut in 2024, the world will be watching to see what happens next for DRX.
