Another team advances: DRX is the second team to qualify for the 2022 League of Legends World Championship Group Stage. On Day 4 of the Worlds 2022 Play-In Stage, the LCK team secured their spot in the next phase with a victory against MAD Lions.

DRX had a comfortable position heading into the final day of the Play-Ins. The team sat at a 4-0 record, having beaten Royal Never Give Up, Saigon Buffalo, İstanbul Wildcats, and Isurus in prior days.

Although they were the big favorites heading into the game, DRX struggled a lot against MAD Lions. The European squad threw a few surprise champions into the mix by playing Mordekaiser top, Bel’Veth jungle, and Vex mid. From early on, MAD Lions controlled the game. DRX’s ganks in the mid lane got squashed, giving MAD’s Bel’Veth time to ramp up. MAD Lions stepped on the gas pedal en minutes into the game. They roamed proactively and got Javier “Elyoya” Prades fed, secured a Baron at 22 minutes, and claimed the Ocean soul.

But DRX mid laner Kim “Zeka” Geon-woo had other plans. On Sylas, with Yuumi attached to him, Zeka began tearing down MAD Lions one by one. When MAD Lions attempted to secure another Baron, DRX struck decisively and aced their opponents. It was enough for DRX to push into MAD Lions base, win the game, and secure a Worlds 2022 Group Stage spot.

Rogue, Top Esports, and GAM Esports await

DRX knows which opponents to prepare for in the Worlds 2022 Group Stage: LEC first seed Rogue, LPL second seed Top Esports, and VCS fist seed GAM Esports. Although Play-In teams that advance to the Group Stage usually are drawn into a group, the every other group at Worlds already has an LCK team. Per Riot’s rules, a group cannot have two teams from the same region in it, meaning DRX was automatically placed in Group C.

The Worlds 2022 Group Stage kicks off on Oct. 7. DRX will play their first game in their group against Rogue on Saturday, Oct. 8, at 11 PM CEST.

For the other Group B teams still in the running—RNG, MAD Lions, and Saigon Buffalo—winning best-of-fives is the last hope at a ticket to the Worlds Group Stage. MAD Lions and Saigon Buffalo face each other directly on Oct. 3. The winner advances to play another best-of-five, this time against the second-placed team from Play-Ins Group A. Whoever wins that series grabs a Group Stage spot. RNG is in a much more comfortable position. After one day of rest, they face either the third or fourth-placed team from Group A in a best-of-five to determine their Worlds fate.