The miracle run of DRX continues at Worlds 2022. The fourth seed of the LCK triumphantly knocked down Gen.G and will face the titans of T1 in the grand final on Nov. 5. After the series against Gen.G, DRX answered questions from the international press in a press conference. The questions have been sorted by whom the question was asked to.

Note: During the press conference, on-site translators only translated answers to English if the question was asked in English. Questions asked by Korean-speaking media and Chinese-speaking media could therefore not be included in this article.

Kingen

Q: What did you think of the crowd in Atlanta today, and how did you handle the pressure?

A: Actually, prior to today’s match, I came to watch T1 versus JDG. I was able to experience how the crowd reacts, which really helped me to adapt to this kind of situation. Also, I don’t think I get actually nervous, or feel pressured. My mindset is more about having fun and enjoying the moment. I always try my best to not care about what’s around me, what’s happening. I would rather just try to enjoy what’s happening. I don’t really feel nervous.

Zeka

Q: From game 2 to game 4, you and Pyosik were an absolute menace for Gen.G to deal with. What was the biggest difference between game 1 and the other games that allowed you to perform so well?

A: I think, in game number one, I was a little bit too nervous. I was making a lot of minor mistakes. Heading into the next games, we actually decided to go with the picks that we’re comfortable with and confident in. The drafts went as we expected, also from the opponent’s side, so we were able to pull of great play.

Q: DRX was the fourth seed of the LCK. You played through the Play-Ins, you surpassed the second seed of China, surpassed the reigning world champion, and beat the champion of your region. Now you’ll play your first Worlds final against the biggest winner of all: Faker. How do you feel?

A: It still feels so surreal that I won today. I’m so happy. I’m so thrilled. I think the whole journey of DRX is like a drama, you know? It’s a TV series with a great story. I don’t think our finale has happened yet. The grand final will be our finale.

Deft

Q: There has been much speculation about your plans for next year. Going into the final next week, are you considering it your last chance to lift the Summoner’s Cup?

A: I’m trying not to think about next year at the moment. I will do my best to focus on the upcoming final.

Q: There are a lot of similarities between the upcoming final and the final of 2017. [Back then] Ambition, another veteran player who stood in the shadow of Faker, took his crown. Do you think that DRX can be able to do the same?

A: As far as I remember, in that final match, Ambition did a great job. He was popping off and led the team to victory. I wish I can also repeat the same level of performance and get the Summoner’s Cup.

Coaching staff

Q: What was your team’s mentality heading into the semifinal today, after losing to Gen.G [earlier in the year]?

A: Well, Gen.G is a very strong team and we were aware of it. At the same time, we knew that we were always improving. Regardless of our opponent, we are always confident in the prep against them to analyze the opponent. We’ve been able to step up every time we got to prepare for the matches. So, we were pretty confident coming into today. We didn’t feel too much pressure and the prep went really well.

Q: Your players clearly don’t feel the pressure from the crowd. But in game 2, it was pretty clear that the crowd was fully behind you guys. Is that something that, in between the games, you are able to relay to your players? Are you looking forward to a similar reception in when Worlds hopefully makes it back to Atlanta?

A: The energy from the crowd was immaculate. They were obviously supporting us and they were looking forward to our upset. They were rooting for our storyline and we could feel that they were cheering for us. All the players were able to get so much energy from the fans. It actually helped them release the pressure and their nerves. About the final: I’m not trying to prepare anything really special. As long as we do as we normally prepare, we will do a great job.

Gen.G gave a press conference after the series as well. You can find it here.