League of Legends

DRX Deft: "How I feel right now is that if I can play next year, then I’m going to play."

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Photo via LoL Esports

On Nov. 5, in the grand finals of the 2022 LoL World Championship, DRX defeated T1 after a full five-game series. They had a hard time throughout the match, but in the end, they were able to claim their first World Championship title. It was a long journey for DRX as they climbed from the play-ins, and after the match, they joined the media for a press conference to talk about their journey.


Photo via LoL Esports

Which champions would you like for your Worlds skins?

 

Kingen: I want an Aatrox skin made.

 

Pyosik: I want Kindred.

 

Zeka: I’ll choose Akali.

 

Deft: I’ll choose Caitlyn.

 

BeryL: Ashe has a lot of skins, but I’ll choose Ashe.

 

[To Pyosik] There were a lot of steals on objectives, so how did you manage to maintain your composure?

 

Pyosik: It was a series where objectives were very important. I could’ve tilted because of the steals by T1, but my teammates kept telling me it was okay, and since our team composition was late-game oriented, we were able to focus until the end and win.

 

[To Deft] From playing in Mexico to various cities around the United States, what’s the most memorable moment in this year’s journey?

 

Deft: The fans cheering for us from Mexico was the most memorable. I feel that we didn’t have a lot of fans, but seeing the number of them grow as we play every match made me feel really good.

 

Game 1 felt like 80% of the crowd was cheering for T1, but by the time game 5 came around, it felt like there were more fans cheering for DRX. Did you feel that shift?

 

Deft: I also experienced something magical like this during the semifinals, where the atmosphere shifted after we won game 2. After we won game 2 today and headed into game 5, I felt the same thing, which gave me a lot of energy.

[To Kingen] You stated in the press conference before the finals that you were confident about the matchup against Zeus. You proved that today. Were you always confident? Are you a confident person in general?

 

Kingen: Before Worlds, I was someone who pretended to be confident. Heading into Worlds, the coaching staff told me that I can win and lose against anyone, so it’s a battle against myself. This type of belief and mindset played a positive affect on my performance, and that’s why I was able to play well today.


[To Ssong] Many say that DRX’s story is the perfect Cinderella story, as the team beat a lot of strong contenders to win the World title. What were some of the things that the team focused on that allowed them to not be so hung up on winning and losing?

Ssong: Having played many Bo5s made me realized that composure was very important. I think that the mental atmosphere of trying to help each other to maintain each other’s prime form played a good role in our success today.

 

[To BeryL] What can you tell us about the Bard in game 5?

 

BeryL: When T1 first picked Karma, we knew that we were going to struggle in lane. However, we got Aatrox in return, and the enemy champions were all immobile, so I felt Bard was the perfect pick. I went through a lot this year, but the victory at the end made it all worth it, so it was a fun year.

 

[To Deft] Is there anything you’d like to say to your teammates? What do they mean to you?

 

Deft: It’s a bit awkward talking about them, but there was a time when we talked about each other’s flaws and what we want from each other during the Spring split. It’s very cool to see how went from then to becoming the best in the world.

 

[To Zeka] Why did you show the EDG and Gen.G emote during the finals?

 

Zeka: They were the teams we beat in quarters and semis. Nothing more than that.

 

[To Deft] How did your mindset change from the start of your Worlds journey in the play-in stage to now? For you, what was the most important factor in becoming world champions?

Deft: Whenever I was asked during the play-ins on whether or not we’ll be able to win Worlds, I wasn’t able to confidently say that I could win it all. However, seeing our improvement after each match made me feel really good. Something I said have been decorated in a nice way, but I think that having the steadfast mindset is what’s important [laughter].

 

[To BeryL] You became the best support in the world not just by winning today, but also winning two out of the three Worlds finals in the past three years. What’s the most important factor in being the best support in the world?

 

BeryL: Three years can seem short and long at the same time, and it sucks that I couldn’t win last year. However, I’m thrilled that I won this year. While the support role may not seem like it does much in comparison to other roles, the support has a lot of responsibilities. I think fulfilling those roles well is what’s important.

 

[To Mowgli] According to Pyosik, he said that his form looked unstable during the regional qualifiers, but has improved significantly after you worked with him. Can you explain how you worked with him?

Mowgli: It was true that our junglers couldn’t adjust to the meta, and didn’t synergize well with the team. However, they’ve improved in both of those aspects at Worlds, which led to our championship victory today. I gave feedback to both Juhan and Pyosik on the various in-game calls they can make, as well as how to be flexible. They received that feedback well, and I’m really happy that the execution was on point.

 

[To Deft] You shared that you’ll share your plans for 2023 after the finals. Can you share some of those plans at this time?

 

Deft: There is the issue of military service, so I can’t say anything for sure at this time. How I feel right now is that if I can play next year, then I’m going to play.

 

[To Deft] As someone with such a long and extensive career with many different teams, is there anyone in your career that’s the most memorable? Also, when was the toughest time in your career?

 

Deft: It has to be Clearlove. He’s someone who also yearned to win a Worlds title, but retired before getting a chance to do so. As for the toughest time in my career, I think it was after the 2020 season, where my injury and my decline in form made me really question my ability to play this game. That’s when I wanted to give up.

[To BeryL] Why did you pick Ashe for your Worlds skin? As someone who now will have two Worlds skins, is there any advice you’d like to give to your teammates in making their first Worlds skins?

BeryL: Although my teammates may not know, my fans that know what I'm doing will know why I picked Ashe. As for the advice, the popular champions in LoL will lead to people using their skins. Picking champions that are popular across all ranks in League and are easy to play are good for their skins. I’m embarrassed to talk about why I chose Ashe because it’s a very formal setting.

 

[To Pyosik] During your streamer days, you stated that Kindred doesn’t have that many skins. You finally have a chance to make your own Kindred skin. Thoughts?

 

Pyosik: At the time, it was when Kindred only had two skins. I said that whoever wins Worlds should make a Kindred skin, so this moment feels very surreal. Whenever the Kindred skin comes out, I think I’ll be very emotional, and proud of myself.

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