When it comes to putting out a great show, League Of Legends never fails to impress. And the game’s premiere competition, Worlds 2022, ended with an upset. T1, a perennial crowd favourite, lost to DragonX (DRX) in a close game that ended with a score of 3-2.
The win means that legendary player Faker goes home with another runner’s up medal, while newly crowned champions DRX now has a foundation to build on for the future.
The shocking start
As the runner-up of LOL Champions Korea (LCK) 2022, DRX had to first compete in a play-in competition to be eligible for the Worlds 2022 group stage. Given their previous records in major LOL competition, it’s not a surprise that they were considered as one of the underdogs in this tournament. Yet DRX started making shockwaves by finishing their play-in group with 100% victory against big names such as RNG and Mad Lions.
Their winning form continued as they ran through their group stage games in a convincing manner. DRX emerged as the group leader, one point ahead of Rogue. They struggled in the knockout stages against Gen.G and reigning world champion, EDward Gaming. But their grit prevailed and they managed to beat both of them and went to the grand final.
T1, on the other hand, was more terrifying. They won the group stage without losing a single game. They swept all before them, including RNG and JD Gaming who were not strong enough to stand up to South Korea’s best team.
The underdogs prevailed
There was also drama to be had. League fans knew the deep friendship between T1 and DRX superstars – Faker and Deft. The two athletes, who have been friends since high school, eventually faced each other in the Worlds 2022 grand final.
The grand final, which was dubbed as “The Reunion Arc” is definitely one of the most intriguing tales of esports competition in 2022: Faker once again reached the grand final after five years and Deft finally got the taste of Worlds final for the first time in his 10-year professional career.
T1 opened the series with a strong performance. Faker dominated the mid lane with one of his signature champions, Azir. Gumayusi’s game was no less impressive, as he dominated the top lane with Varus.
Although they managed to land the first blood on Faker, DRX’s momentum quickly dissipated as T1 relentlessly pressured them in the early game. Having lost the advantage in gold and kills, DRX was unable to cope with T1’s aggression and lost the first game in the 30th minute mark.
DRX attempted to redeem its loss in the second game when Deft picked Varus, which was T1’s core in the first game. Zeka and Beryl retained their option from the first game, Sylas and Heimerdinger. As for T1, Gumayusi himself decided to counter Varus with Ashe.
The early game was rough for DRX as T1 managed to claim 5 kills and an Ocean Dragon in less than 12 minutes. DRX later matched the intensity of T1 and managed to turn things around in the 17th minute when they obtained Mountain Dragon and summoned Rift Herald at the same time.
T1 attempted to regain their control of the game as they pressed DRX even harder. DRX’s clever combination of Varus and Sylas, however, was enough to defend themselves against the pressure. DRX finally got what they were waiting for when T1 tried to take the Baron in late game. DRX capitalized on the situation to bring down Zeus, Faker, and Gumayusi. DRX ultimately equalized by winning the second game.
It was another topsy-turvy set up in the third game. DRX managed to surpass gold and kills in the first 20 minutes despite losing against Dragon. Seeing the odds were against them, T1 waited patiently for the opportunity before the mid game.
Their patience paid off in the 24th minute, when Oner’s Graves successfully stole the Baron from DRX. Chaos ensued as T1 began to turn things around. DRX attempted to capture Baron one more time in the 31st minute, yet T1 managed to steal it again, thanks to a well-timed Piercing Arrow from Gumayusi. Taking advantage of the situation, T1 made one final push and won the third game.
DRX returned to catch up in the fourth game. This time, Zeka took Azir, Faker’s signature, and Deft snatched Varus away from Gumayusi again. This time they dominated with 14 kills and managed to keep Faker quiet throughout the game. In less than 30 minutes, DRX equalized 2-2.
With match points on the line, DRX and T1 put their draft picks on the line in the last game. Zeka once more snatched Azir from Faker, while Gumayusi took Varus again.
The early game was tight as Oner and Zeus scored swift kills, yet Kingen and Zeka weren’t afraid to knock on T1’s door. When T1 obtained the Herald, DRX responded by capturing the Dragon. T1 was leading, however, as they managed to destroy three of DRX’s turrets in the first 20 minutes.
The situation heated up, with both teams probing each other. But DRX caught a break when T1 took a gamble in the middle of Elder Dragon contest in the 40th minute.
T1 started the Elder Dragon contest, with DRX closely watching. But the plan was a bait and switch: T1 deliberately allowed DRX to focus on capturing the Elder Dragon, sacrificing Oner and Keria in the process, to give Faker and Zeus enough time to teleport to DRX’s Nexus.
It was a cunning move from T1 but unfortunately, Faker and Zeus damage was insufficient, which gave DRX enough time to capture the Elder Dragon and wiped both of them right on time. T1 was unable to withstand the push as they already lost their key players. The final game concluded with the underdogs emerging victorious.
This victory was a watershed moment for DRX. They won Worlds championship in their debut season, and became the first ever team from play-in stage to ever win the championship as well.
As for Deft, this was a moment where he finally proved the doubters wrong by taking down the “Unkillable Demon King” in Worlds and finally relieved himself of his “best ADC in the world that never won Worlds” title that had been attached to him for a long time.
