Korea’s DRX Advances to Playoffs at VCT Masters Tokyo
Korea’s DRX has successfully made it through the group stage at the international VALORANT Champions Tour tournament in Tokyo. Despite facing initial setbacks against Evil Geniuses, DRX fought back against FUT Esports on June 13 to secure a spot in the playoffs.
The team has faced criticism throughout the season for their struggles in integrating a new young player into their roster. However, in their elimination match, DRX opted to stick with their experienced roster, choosing to start Kim “Zest” Gi-seok instead of Jung “Foxy9” Jae-sung. They also returned to their signature compositions on their best maps, ultimately winning the series 2-1 and sending FUT Esports home.
The series began with DRX falling behind on Bind. One of their strengths, team play, was lacking as Kim “MaKo” Myeong-kwan, their controller player, had a subpar performance. FUT’s Konur “qw1” Şahin excelled on Raze, outshining DRX’s Byung-chul “BuZz” Yu.
However, DRX bounced back on Fracture, utilizing their original agent composition and relying on Goo “Rb” Sang-min’s expertise on Neon. This strategic shift paid off, and FUT couldn’t keep up. DRX won the map 13-8.
Moving on to Haven, DRX showcased their skills with BuzZ on Jett, Zest on Sova, and MaKo on Omen. They dominated the map, securing a 13-4 victory and eliminating FUT from the tournament.
DRX’s victory secures their advancement to the playoffs, but they still have work to do if they hope to win the VCT trophy. As for FUT, their Tokyo campaign may be over, but they have secured a spot at VCT Champions Los Angeles. They now have time to rest and prepare for the upcoming tournament in August.