Thus, after the final match of the LCK Summer 2023 between Dplus KIA and Hanwha Life Esports, DK has officially become the last name from LCK to participate in the World Championship (Worlds) 2023. The participation of ShowMaker also marks the reunion of the “quartet” of the best Mid Laners in LCK at an international tournament. The last time Faker, ShowMaker, Chovy, and Bdd all appeared at Worlds was in 2021.
Notably, with the successful qualification for Worlds 2023, DK also becomes the first LCK team in the history of the tournament to represent the region and participate in Worlds for five consecutive years. It should be noted that before DK, no team had been able to qualify for Worlds consistently for such a long time, including the team with the most Worlds championships – SKT T1/T1. During their dominant era, T1 also failed to qualify for Worlds three times, specifically in 2014, 2018, and 2020.
However, apart from 2020 and somewhat in 2021, DK’s performance at previous Worlds has not been particularly impressive. Notably, in 2022, they were eliminated in the Quarterfinals by Gen.G in a match where DK had many advantages. Just one mistake in a team fight and allowing Ruler to shine, DK had to leave the tournament with great disappointment. Gen.G themselves were then “knocked out” by the team that went on to win the championship – DRX. After the 2021-2022 season, DK was no longer considered a strong enough force to threaten T1 or Gen.G.
Stepping into Worlds 2023 this time, ShowMaker certainly understands DK’s current position. However, the biggest goal remains the championship. And who knows, with Canyon’s “godly” performances and “quirky” playstyle, along with the experience and “friendship strength” of Deft, the duo Canyon – ShowMaker might shake up the League of Legends scene once again, just as they did when they claimed the Worlds title in 2020.