League of Legends: Zeka and Deft talk beating T1 and Faker

The Post sat down with two of the team’s winners: Kim “Deft” Hyuk-kyu, a 26-calendar year-previous League veteran who had viewed his share of victories slip absent from him, and Kim “Zeka” Geon-woo, a 20-yr-old, refreshing-confronted midlaner promptly creating a name for crushing his level of competition, even when confronting the legendary T1 champion Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok. Both equally gamers spoke to The Put up by means of a translator.

“People utilised to dismiss us, stating that we’re not seriously good. It is like we have constantly been playing from the odds,” said Zeka. “But as we held winning, we definitely liked the winning emotion.”

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The midlaner talked about how the group maintained its morale irrespective of frequently shedding the initially video game in a sequence of very best of 5. Zeka advised that getting rid of the 1st sport was not always a undesirable thing — the opposing team could be misled into wondering they experienced observed DRX’s methods, giving their group an benefit going ahead.

“Actually from the qualifiers back in Korea, we usually shed the initial recreation, but we are capable to arrive again and overcome the match,” Zeka mentioned. “It’s not like a ordinary thing to do. But we ended up equipped to do it yet again.”

He also talked about what it was like to perform towards Faker, a League of Legends esports star he experienced developed up observing. He and Faker did not have significantly time to chat just after the video games ended.

“It was not about who we gained versus, but how we did. That’s what we as a workforce talked about,” Zeka said.

Deft had a viral moment earlier this yr when he cried tears of pleasure soon after profitable the October quarterfinals in New York towards Edward Gaming, the Chinese group that won Worlds in 2021. He defined that he became overcome by thoughts.

“Qualifying for Worlds itself was a extremely challenging process for us,” Deft reported, adding that these memories came rushing back to him after their not likely victory in the finals. “Just like a motion picture or a drama, it was definitely like a miracle.”

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Zeka stated he wasn’t actually into praying or becoming spiritual, but that he did think in future. “There’s a destiny in winning Worlds,” he explained.

In the earlier, Deft explained he felt annoyed when younger esports players or gamers he felt had inconsistent performances finished up successful Worlds. For example, Faker, who is the identical age as Deft, has received Worlds a few periods, though Deft frequently misplaced in quarterfinals in prior several years. But Deft stated that if he felt pissed off about how his 2022 teammates have been youthful than him and had far more effortlessly achieved accomplishment, it would be unkind of him to sense this way considering that they ended up all on the very same staff.

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Just after DRX gained Worlds, the five-member workforce took property about $489,500 in prize winnings, as well as a part of profits from particular Worlds-themed in-match cosmetics. With the earnings, Zeka explained he was considering investing in authentic estate.

“If we get a ton of profits from the skins, possibly I can get a developing,” he explained.

When pressed on what sort of making, Zeka included that he hadn’t thought that considerably in advance but, but that it seemed like a sensible investment. Deft said he would conserve for retirement, one thing that players in their late twenties and thirties commence to contemplate.

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Following Worlds, the staff associates rushed to Las Vegas for a working day ahead of viewing the Grand Canyon. Before long soon after, they returned to their houses in South Korea. Now, in the offseason, Deft and Zeka have signed on to other South Korean teams after their contracts with DRX expired. Zeka signed onto Hanwha Existence.

Deft was able to defer his mandatory army services and signal on to yet another South Korean crew, DWG KIA, for at minimum an additional calendar year. But at 26 yrs old, he will have to provide in the Korean army sometime within just the future number of decades, according to the country’s legislation mandating all ready-bodied gentlemen provide at the very least 18 months in the armed forces by age 28, which has conscripted audio stars and esports pros alike.

Deft mirrored on his country’s principles, declaring “everything has execs and drawbacks.”

“Obviously, Korean qualified gamers can’t enjoy as a great deal as other skilled gamers can in other regions,” Deft reported. “That could be a disadvantage, but I consider due to the fact of that, most Korean gamers have to genuinely participate in really hard in the small volume of time they have. And that is the silver lining.”

When questioned if North The usa is the strongest League of Legends esports region — a functioning joke in the pro League circuit, as the region has underperformed each and every yr — Deft nodded and said he agreed, primarily if individuals in North America had been listening to his reaction.

Soon after Deft returns from armed forces conscription, he explained he might challenge whoever has established the report for the oldest experienced esports player in Korea at that point and occur again to engage in more. He reported he thinks older gamers are inclined to retire due to the fact their reaction situations could commence to lag at the rear of younger players, but also simply because as they age, they may perhaps start out to shed the enthusiasm and potential to devote their complete lives to gaming.

“When you get older, you have a lot of other interests coming out,” Deft explained. “When you are younger, you are really passionate about the game. You only consider about playing the video game.”

When requested if his other hobbies and pursuits have been rising just after several years of professional enjoy, Deft mentioned: “For the past 10 several years, gaming has been my amount a single priority. Right up until the day I retire, gaming will be my selection a person priority.”