For long-time League of Legends (LoL) players, the names Faker and Deft are no strangers. Faker is recognized globally as a brand, an icon of LoL. Meanwhile, Deft has emerged as a diligent player, always striving to inspire his teammates.
Additionally, Deft and Faker both attended the same high school, Mapo. The two players have had a connection since they began their professional careers, even playing for two rival organizations, KT Rolster and T1. However, victory has often favored Faker since both started their professional journeys.
As a result, the global League of Legends community says: “Faker is the eternal rival of Deft.” Despite showing excellent form, the gentle marksman has consistently fallen short against the Demon King. This led to the saying “Did heaven create Deft only to create Faker as well?” referring to the bond between the two players. Even when SKT faced personnel issues and might lose to other teams, they absolutely had to defeat Deft’s team.
Over time, Deft has maintained his passion for LoL and inspired the next generation. Young players like Chovy and Keria wish to team up with Deft simply because they admire him. It wasn’t until Deft encouraged Chovy and Keria to seek new opportunities that they finally moved on. As for Deft, he continues to dedicate the best of himself to fans as he approaches the later stages of his career.
The journeys of T1 and DRX at the 2022 World Championship have been nothing short of successful. They weren’t highly regarded by experts for various reasons. Specifically, T1 displayed inconsistent performance after the summer split, especially from marksman Gumayusi and Faker. Gumayusi lost his confidence, frequently making mistakes in critical situations. Meanwhile, Faker faced doubts regarding his talent compared to younger players, particularly after being overwhelmed by Chovy in the LCK finals. However, T1 gradually regained their form, sweeping all opponents on their path to face DRX in the final match of the World Championship.
As for DRX, they are the dark horse of this year’s tournament. The Korean League of Legends community had low expectations for DRX, merely hoping they would play to their fullest potential. Nonetheless, DRX has crafted a fascinating story at the 2022 World Championship.
DRX easily surpassed the play-in stage, then continued to top Group C. Entering the knockout stage, the fourth seed from Korea went on to defeat Edward Gaming in five thrilling games. Not stopping there, they overcame Gen.G – the number one seed in LCK and a favorite to win the World Championship. If they defeat T1, DRX will lift the championship trophy with an unprecedented historical journey.
Thus, the story of the rivalry between Faker and Deft continues to be discussed. Unlike previous seasons, the global community just wants to enjoy a truly exciting finals match; who wins the championship is not the most important factor. If Faker wins the championship for the fourth time, it will be a valuable reward for the relentless contributions of the Demon King.
As for Deft, after all his efforts in LoL, he also deserves to receive the highest honor of the year. Both Deft and Faker view LoL as a part of their lives, always striving tirelessly on their journey to push their limits. Therefore, the global community just wants to enjoy a visually stunning finals match.
There is something unusual about the 2022 World Championship. Although T1 fans are eager for their beloved team to become champions, they also feel relaxed if DRX wins. Meanwhile, the neutral community is enthusiastically cheering for Deft in the upcoming finals. This is something not easily achieved by any player worldwide.