A broken win streak won't keep DRX DRX Korea Rank #4 Flashback Cho Min-hyuk (조민혁) MaKo Kim Myeong-gwan (김명관) Athan Na Ha-jun (나하준) freeing No Ha-jun (노하준) HYUNMIN Song Hyun-min (송현민) from Iceland's stage this time around.

Previously known as Vision Strikers Vision Strikers Inactive stax Kim Gu-taek (김구택) Rb Goo Sang-min (구상민) Zest Kim Ki-seok (김기석) BuZz Yu Byeong-cheol (유병철) MaKo Kim Myeong-gwan (김명관) , DRX took Korea by surprise in 2021 after amassing a lengthy win streak and solidifying themselves as a notable team in the Korean scene. A single ticket to Reykjavik awaited them as they triumphed over other established rosters.

But their win streak was shattered by F4Q F4Q Inactive Hermes Ahn Byeong-wook (안병욱) Estrella Park Gun (박건) fiveK Yoo Sung-min (유성민) GOLD Geum Chang-wan (금창완) in the group stage of KR Challengers Stage 2, forcing them into an early matchup against NUTURN NUTURN Inactive in the playoffs. Despite being favored to win against their opponents in the semifinals, they were eliminated in a two-map match after a shaky performance, crushing their hopes of attending the first international LAN.

After a disappointing end to their 2021 VCT run, DRX have sprung back into the action in KR Challengers Stage 1, dominating the competition in an almost-flawless run to secure their ticket to Masters: Reykjavik.

Following the beginning of 2021, the longstanding titans of the Korean scene consisted of Goo "Rb" Sang-min (구상민), Kim "Zest" Ki-seok (김기석), and Kim "stax" Gu-taek (김구택) as the core members of the original Vision Strikers roster. Eventually, Yu "BuZz" Byeong-cheol (유병철) and Kim "MaKo" Myeong-gwan (김명관) would join the team following roster changes that included Kim "glow" Min-soo (김민수) stepping down as a player and into the mantle of coach. The squad would find success in main events, qualifying for both Masters: Berlin and Champions during the 2021 VCT.

However, their performance on the international stage failed to put up exceptional results. During their stay at Masters: Berlin, the team started off strong as they took down Paper Rex Paper Rex Asia-Pacific Rank #3 mindfreak Aaron Leonhart Jinggg Wang Jing Jie f0rsakeN Jason Susanto d4v41 Khalish Rusyaidee something Ilya Petrov and upset Acend Acend Inactive ALIVE Gilad Hakim musashi Alessio Xhaferi pyrolll Artur Minin cullumx Nikolaj Cullum Andersen chiwa Egor Stepanyuk to advance out of Group A and into the playoffs. However, their stay was cut short in the quarterfinals after a thrilling series against Gambit Esports Gambit Esports Inactive Redgar Igor Vlasov Chronicle Timofey Khromov d3ffo Nikita Sudakov sheydos Bogdan Naumov nAts Ayaz Akhmetshin , the eventual victors of the tournament.

Looking to one-up their previous Berlin performance, the superteam would return to the stage at Champions as they faced the world's best. Unfortunately, there would be no advancement to the playoffs, as the team only managed to defeat FULL SENSE FULL SENSE Asia-Pacific Rank #6 JohnOlsen Chanawin Nakchain Leviathan Thanyathon Nakmee aLerT Wattanachok Yingnakorn Potter Sutthichai Promsrikaew Sushiboys Panyawat Subsiriroj before falling to FNATIC FNATIC Europe Rank #3 crashies Austin Roberts Boaster Jake Howlett kaajak Kajetan Haremski Chronicle Timofey Khromov Alfajer Emir Ali Beder and being knocked out of Group D by Cloud9 Cloud9 North America Rank #7 Xeppaa Erick Bach v1c Victor Truong mitch Mitch Semago neT Michael Bernet OXY Francis Hoang .

DRX Champions Despite their efforts, DRX were unable to return for playoffs at Champions. (Photo by Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games)

Determined to play on the international stage again, the Korean powerhouse started off 2022 with a bang as they blitzed through the group stage of KR Challengers Stage 1, securing a first seed position after finishing atop their group with a 6-1 record, only losing a series to Incheon On Sla2ers Incheon On Sla2ers Korea Rank #29 VaNish XirZz and guaranteeing a spot in the upper semifinals.

From there, DRX defeated World Game Star World Game Star Korea Rank #25 Wenty Yang Geon-mo (양건모) YUNSEUNG and settled the score with On Sla2ers to advance to the grand final, one match away from qualifying for Reykjavik. Hoping for another victory over the only obstacle that stood between them and Iceland, On Sla2ers met DRX in the grand final for one final match that ended with DRX on top after three consecutive map wins.

KR Challengers Stage 1 Stats Rb dominated the ACS statistic, followed closely by MaKo and BuZz.

It was no surprise to see DRX members at the top of the board stats-wise, with Rb holding the highest ACS (280.9) and second-highest KD (1.38) as MaKo dominated the KD (1.40) and KAST (79%) categories. Both stax and BuZz were seen in the top positions behind their teammates in certain damage categories, solidifying the fact that the team did not need to rely on one player in order to win their matches. The consistency of the players and the strategic teamwork and chemistry between them are what molded DRX into Korea's best.

Going into Masters: Reykjavik, DRX are set to face Japanese representatives ZETA DIVISION ZETA DIVISION Japan Rank #2 Dep Yuma Hashimoto SugarZ3ro Shota Watanabe CLZ Hikaru Mizutani SyouTa Shota Aoki Xdll Yuto Mizomori in Group A, which also includes Fnatic, the European team that triumphed over them in Group D at Champions as well as Ninjas In Pyjamas Ninjas In Pyjamas Inactive , a prominent Brazilian squad vying for a chance at playoffs.

Heavy expectations are on the shoulders of DRX as they head to Reykjavik, as fans and the players themselves hope to see the Korean squad in the playoffs. The pressure is nothing new for DRX, having endured it before as they conquered other teams on the international stage.

Now, the team is ready to leave their mark on Reykjavik soil as they seek to go beyond their previous margin of international success.