DRX Deft “I want to be a player next year.”
DRX’s 2022 League of Legends World Championship (hereinafter referred to as the LOL Cup) is more valuable than ever for both players and League of Legends (hereinafter referred to as LOL) fans. “Deft” Kim Hyuk-kyu, who made his first appearance in the LOL World Cup final, won the championship 3,505 days after his debut, as well as the tremendous growth of “Jeka” Kim Gun-woo and “Kingen” Hwang Sung-hoon in their personal broadcasting of “Pyo-sik” Hong Chang-hyun’s life reversal story. This is because all team members have completed the best story that can be shown in League of Legends e-sports.
Unsurprisingly, the tournament was so dramatic that all the team members, including the coach, said they couldn’t believe the situation. Game mecca talked in detail with DRX team members, including their feelings about winning.
Q. First of all, what is the desired skin for each player?
“Kinggen” Hwang Sung-hoon (hereinafter referred to as Kinggen): Atrox skin would be good.
“Pyo Sik” Hong Chang-hyun (hereinafter referred to as “Pyo Sik”): It is a Kindred Skin.
‘Jeka’ Kim Gun-woo (hereinafter referred to as Zeka): I’ll choose Akali.
‘Deft’ Kim Hyuk-kyu (hereinafter referred to as Deft): It’s Caitlin.
‘Beryl’ Cho Kun-hee (hereinafter referred to as Barry): I’m nervous because I already have a lot of skin, but I want to make it ash.
Q. It was a series with a lot of stills throughout the game, and there were many major scenes centered on objects. What drove you to concentrate even after being stolen?
Mark: Today’s object was very important, but strangely, I was almost psychologically dried because I was stitched a lot, but the team members comforted me. It was hard, but I was able to concentrate because there was no very unfavorable situation.
Q. Starting from Mexico, he traveled around the U.S. and played this tournament. Which part did you enjoy the most?
DRX Deft: I didn’t think there would be a lot of people cheering in Mexico, but there were a lot more than I thought. It was rewarding to see our fans increase every game and every game.
Q. Until the start of the first set, field fans cheered for T1, but almost everyone cheered for DRX as they entered the fifth set. I wonder if you felt this part.
DRX Deft: I had this amazing experience in the semifinals, and when I took off my headset after losing one game and winning two games, I could feel that the fans were cheering us on a lot. I could feel that there were more people cheering for us after the 5th set today.
Q. In the case of Kingen, he said he was confident that he would face “Zeus” Choi Woo-je on Media Day before the final. Do you always act confident in your daily life?
KINGEN: I was an insecure person pretending to be confident. However, I felt that I was getting stronger through difficult situations, and I have always fought with myself rather than with other top liners. I am a person who can win and lose to anyone depending on my opinion, and I think my beliefs and mindset worked well and made today’s results.
Q. Many people are saying that DRX is like a Cinderella story or drama. Which part did you focus on to play well?
“Song” Director Kim Sang-soo (hereinafter referred to as “song”): I thought calmness was important as I was playing multiple premise. I didn’t lose my composure even if I lost one or two games, and I tried hard mentally to always maintain my condition. I think that atmosphere worked well for the team.
Q. Why did Bard appear at the end?
Beryl: Once the opponent took Karma, I thought the line game was at a disadvantage. In the meantime, we brought Atrox and thought it was good to form a line, and it would be good to use the bard because the opposing dealers were busy I thought about it and picked it.
Q. What does DRX and his teammates mean to Deft?
Deft: I once took turns saying something to my teammates during the spring. At that time, each person talked about what they felt was lacking. Beyond what I said at that time, I think everyone has become the best player in the world, so it’s so cool.
Q. How did Deft change his mindset from spring to season? In addition, what do you think is important for the winning team?
DEFT: When I was asked if I could win the spring, it was honestly hard to say. However, as I played the game, I felt that I was growing more and more, so my mindset changed. I think the important thing for the winning team is the “unbreakable heart” that was said in Korea.
Q. In the case of Beryl, he is runner-up once and twice in three years. It is no exaggeration to say that he is the best supporter. What do you think is the most important thing to be the best supporter?
BERRILE: I thought it was very unfortunate that I didn’t win last year. Still, I’m very happy to win this year. The line of supporters may seem to do nothing compared to other lines, but supporters are also doing a lot of work in-game. I think it is important to keep silent on such actions even if they are invisible.
Q. Lee Jae-ha, coach of “Mowgli” Lee Jae-ha, said that he was able to win the championship because he came as a coach dedicated to the jungle and delivered a lot of know-how. How did you fix the anxious jungle of DRX?
Coach Lee Jae-ha of ‘Mowgli’: It is true that he was unstable in meta adaptation and team combination until the start, but he adapted well and showed synergy with his team members as the game progressed. I gave Jungler a lot of feedback on how to respond flexibly depending on the call or situation that can always be done in various ways. I think I did well because the players accepted it well.
Q. What is Deft’s plan for next year?
DEFT: Actually, I have a military enlistment problem, so it’s hard to completely confirm, but I think I’ll play more if I can.
Q. Deft took a lot of time to win the LOL World Cup. What was the most difficult moment of your career and the most memorable player?
DEFT: ‘Clear Love’ Minkai wanted to be here for as long as I did, but I couldn’t see it, so it was the most memorable. The most difficult moment was at the end of 20 years when injuries and degradation came together and trust in myself was lost.
Q. Why did Beryl choose Ash as the winning skin? And if you could give me some advice on making skin lotion?
BERRILE: I don’t know why I chose Ash, but I think the fans all know. To give you some advice, I think the popular champion who many people enjoy is using a lot of skins. It would be better to choose a good and easy champion that is popular and can be used by users of all tiers.
Q. When I was doing the broadcast, I said I didn’t have a Kindred Skin, but I made the LOL World Cup winning skin with my own hands. I wonder how you feel about this.
Mark: There were only two skins back then. On the broadcast, the winner of the LOL World Cup said he wanted me to make a skin, but I can’t believe this situation. I think it’ll be so much fun if the skin comes out.
Q. DRX Deft has said he has been vague about winning the LoL World Cup since last year, but he has finally come to fruition. What’s the difference between what you imagined and what you realized?
DEFT: I don’t think there’s much to how I feel after winning, and I think the process of coming this far was so good.