Deft: “Every day I was told that I would not win the Worlds”

ADC DRX Kim "Deft" Hyuk-kyu spoke out after winning the Worlds 2022. The player spoke about the experiences on the long road to the world championship.

After some time, I realized that everything that happened was not a dream.

Every day I was told that I could not win the Worlds. I'm tired, I've had surgery, I'm too old.

It took me 10 years to look back and tell them you were wrong.

I hope that my victory and the victory of my team will give hope to people who are going through more difficult times than me.

In the end, fortitude is the most important thing.

It was the most memorable year. You supported me, whether I deserved it or not, and this is the reason why this year has been the happiest of my life.

Thank you!

Deft is one of the oldest players in the competitive League of Legends. The newly-made world champion began his career in 2013.

In 9 years, Kim Hyuk-kyu reached the Worlds 6 times, but until 2022 he could not go beyond the semi-finals at his debut Worlds 2014. This season, Deft broke the curse by winning the World Championship, which will be the last in the career of the legendary ADC.

The 2022 World Championship took place from September 29 to November 5 in Mexico and the USA. The Play-In stage took place from September 29 to October 4 at the Arena Esports Stadium in Mexico City, and the group stage took place from October 7-10 and October 13-16 at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. The quarter-finals were played at the same Hulu Theater from October 21-24, the semi-finals were hosted by the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, and the final was held at the Chase Center on November 5 in San Francisco. As part of the championship, 24 teams from all over the world competed for a total prize pool of $2,225,000.

2022 World Championship Final Results

• 1st place: DRX - $489,500
• 2nd place: T1 - $333,750
• 3rd-4th place: JD Gaming, Gen.G - $178,000
• 5th-8th place: Rogue, Royal Never Give Up, DAMWON Gaming, EDward Gaming - $100,125
• 9th-12th place: Fnatic, G2 Esports, TOP Esports, 100 Thieves — $55,625
• 13th-16th place: Cloud9, Evil Geniuses, GAM Esports, CTBC Flying Oyster — $50,062.
• 17th-18th place: DetonatioN FocusMe, MAD Lions — $38,937
• 19th-20th place: LOUD, Saigon Buffalo - $33,375
• 21st-22nd place: Isurus, Beyond Gaming — $22,250
• 23rd-24th place: İstanbul Wildcats, Chiefs Esports Club — $16,687