On the second semifinal match of the 2022 LoL World Championship, DRX went against all odds to take down Gen.G 3-1. As a team that had a 0-13 record against Gen.G this year, DRX’s victory was nothing short of an upset. They now head to San Francisco, where they’ll be facing T1 in the finals of the tournament.

The following is Hwang “Kingen” Seong-hoon and Cho “BeryL” Geon-hee’s post match interview.

How do you feel about going to your first Worlds finals?

Kingen: Before I share my feelings on the victory, I want to offer my condolences to all the victims and their families of the tragic incident at Itaewon two days prior. I hope that the victims all rest in peace, and their families are able to find peace as well.

In every match that we played, we did feel the weight of the matches, but we always played with the mindset of having nothing to lose. Having that mindset helped us play well today as well.

BeryL, how do you feel about making it to your third consecutive Worlds finals?

BeryL: I’m thrilled to have the same tie record of making it to the Worlds finals consecutively as legendary players like Faker, Bang, and Wolf.

A lot of people expected Gen.G to take the victory, but DRX managed to take the reverse sweep after dropping game 1. Prior to today, DRX had a 13 consecutive losing streak against Gen.G.

Kingen: Our journey was like magic, and it led to trust, teamwork, and a tighter bond between our teammates. Because of this, the negative win rate didn’t pressure us.

Despite DRX dropping game 1, a lot of fans cheered for DRX. How did you feel when you heard those “Let’s go DRX!” chants from the crowd?

BeryL: I was focused on our game plan for game 2, so I honestly couldn’t tell whether or not they were cheering for us or Gen.G. Now that I know, I would’ve felt really great if I was aware at the time. 

DRX’s top side performed much better than that of Gen.G’s this match. How were you able to bring your form up for the semifinals?

Kingen: The faith that the team had in reaching higher heights was so strong, that the winning mentality of enjoying the moment worked for us beautifully. I think that’s why my performance looked great. Our experience bot lane leading our top side, as well as our coaching staff having great leadership synergized to forming a tighter bond within the team.

BeryL: Our recent practice didn’t go so great, but once we hit the stage, we all trust each other to pull our weights. Our regular split in the Summer didn’t go so well, and going through all the trials led us to this point. Even if we lose in the finals, we’re still the second best in the World, so either way, I’ll be very happy.

There’s a lot of narrative behind Deft. As someone that worked with him the closest, can you share some of his journey? Is there anything you’d like to say to him?

BeryL: I’m sure this goes the same for every player, but Deft is incredibly hungry to win. People say it’s Deft’s ‘Last Dance’, and the dance should last until the very end. I think we fulfilled about 95% of his ‘Last Dance’.

Kingen: Deft is someone that I learn a ton from. As he said in interviews, rather than clinging to results, living in the moment is what’s important. Making a lot of these moments is what’s fun and enjoyable. It’s such a cool mindset. We wouldn’t have made it so far without Deft, and I really want to help him take that trophy home.

From the first LCK Derby in five years to the Mapo High School matchup [Deft vs Faker], there’s a lot of narrative behind the finals this year. What’s your mindset heading into the finals?

Kingen: I believe that our team went against all odds to achieve the impossible. I’ll prove that on the finals stage as well. We’ll make sure to play hard and have fun until the end.

BeryL: In the end, T1’s the final boss. They looked really strong against JDG. However, the underdog teams were the ones to take the trophy home in other recent AOS tournament; as the underdogs, we’ll also make sure to successfully take that final step.