The unexpected comments of the former World Champion
Perhaps in the history of League of Legends, the championship win at the World Championship that surprised many was the achievement of DRX in 2022. Entering the highest-level international tournament through the regional qualifiers, they even nearly got eliminated, but the “Blue Dragon” defeated many strong opponents before reaching the finals. Their opponent T1 at that time was a powerful team that had an unbeaten streak and was the runner-up of LCK Summer 2022. However, when no one expected it, DRX surprisingly toppled T1 and crowned themselves champions.
Many fans really thought that was Deft’s “last dance,” but as of now, he is still preparing with KT Rolster for another round of regional qualifiers to seek a ticket to the 2024 World Championship. In fact, Deft even shared something that surprised many: “It seems that I will have to fulfill my duty next year. But if my skills still meet the requirements and a team reaches out, I will continue to play professionally afterward. That has always been my thought.”
The harsh reality for the former World Champion
Deft’s aspirations sound completely reasonable, and he himself emphasizes the need for “skills to meet the requirements” and “a team to reach out,” but in reality, this falls into the realm of “impossible.” Let’s not even talk about skill or recruitment; first, Deft has to readjust to the environment and training rhythm of professional teams. Moreover, after two years, League of Legends will have many changes, if not drastically different from now. Deft will even have to spend time reacquainting himself with the new game mechanics after being away for so long.
Additionally, by that time, Deft will be over 30 years old, and recruiting an older player like him is still unprecedented in the professional League of Legends scene. The oldest players still actively competing in the four Major regions are Impact and GuGer. However, both of these players are only contributing in terms of experience. GuGer can only join a weaker team like Nongshim RedForce.
But neither Impact nor GuGer have had a career interruption as long as going on duty. And that is the biggest difference if Deft truly wants to continue his career after returning. In the LCK specifically and League of Legends and Esports in general, there has almost never been a precedent for such a situation, and in reality, that is a wish that may just be a dream for Deft.