So far only one player from the 2022 League of Legends World Championship winning DRX squad has qualified for Worlds in 2023. Now an epic battle will commence for the final spot, but who is going to get it?
The 2023 League of Legends World Championship will take place in South Korea this year, making it one of the most meaningful events in a pro-players life, if they are able to play on home soil in front of their fans. Multiple teams have already confirmed their spot in Seoul and Busan, but some teams are still fighting to make it.
From the South Korean LCK, three teams are left, all vying for that fourth spot. DRX, Dplus KIA or Hanwha Life Esports; who will represent the LCK as their fourth seed?
LoL Worlds 2023: Four Former Teammates Vying For Finals World Championship Spot
The 2023 League of Legends World Championship will kick off on October 10, 2023 with the play-in phase in Seoul, South Korea. Before we can get there though, all the teams will have to qualify. The LCK is almost finished with their qualifying, with one spot left as the fourth seed of the region.
In 2022 the LCK fourth seed, DRX, managed the miracle run of all miracle runs into the World Championship final, where they took down T1, the clear favorites in the final. The team of underdogs broke up after their win though, with the five players all moving on to four different teams with only mid laner Kim "Zeka" Geon-wooand top laner Hwang "Kingen"Seong-hoon moving to the same team – Hanwha Life Esports.
DRX support Cho "BeryL" Geon-hee stayed with the squad, while the veteran bot laner Kim "Deft" Hyuk-kyu moved on Dplus KIA ahead of the 2023 season.
Zeka, Kingen: @HLEofficial
— Ashley Kang (@AshleyKang) August 24, 2023
Deft: @DplusKIA
BeryL, Juhan: @DRXGlobal
Only 1ONE1 Worlds spot remains. Only one out of HLE, DK, and DRX can make #Worlds2023
The other members of 2022 DRX (within #LCK) will miss Worlds pic.twitter.com/bAavOtYPlr
Hanwha Life Esports lost 3-1 in the LCK upper bracket qualifier to KT Rolster, meaning they will have one final chance to make it to the finals. They will play the winner of the lower bracket match between Dplus KIA and DRX.
The only player of the 2022 DRX squad that has already qualified is the team's former jungler Hong "Pyosik" Chang-hyeon who moved to the LCS this season and joined Team Liquid. Which of his former teammates he might face at Worlds 2023 is yet to be decided.
The match between DK and DRX is going to take place on Friday, August 25, 2023. The winner will move on to face HLE on Saturday, August 26, 2023. The winner of the match on Saturday will be the final Korean squad at Worlds 2023. So, which 2022 World Champion will it be?