DRX's MaKo ready to use team’s previous losses to achieve new heights in 2022

American philosopher William James once said, “Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune.”

It’s a fitting quote to describe DRX’s journey from domination in Korea to international struggles.

Back when they were the Vision Strikers, DRX skyrocketed to the top of Korea, where they are internationally known for their 102-match win streak. Yet, even with all these wins, it was the few losses they experienced in 2021 that affected the team the most.

“We really focused a lot on those few losses because we had been so accustomed to winning everything,” Kim “MaKo” Myeong-kwan told Nerd Street. “Sometimes those losses can weigh heavily on our team morale.”

Truthful about the team’s struggles at times to deal with imperfection, MaKo and the team used this offseason to talk about what held them back from international success.

“At Champs, we tended to play really reactive and on the go instead of using the strategies we had created for these events,” MaKo said.

Photo credit: Riot Games

Entering 2022, MaKo and DRX used their international struggles as an opportunity to come into 2022 with a renewed mindset and a clear plan for their matches.

“We really wanted to enter this tournament treating every match the same,” MaKo said. “We wanted every play to have an exact plan instead of relying on our aim or talent, which is something that held us back at Champs.”

DRX’s first opponent at Reykjavik was Japan’s ZETA Division, and immediately in-game, MaKo knew that they had an advantage mentally over their opponents.

“For ZETA Division, I could see that many of the players were nervous and likely anxious,” MaKo said. “From what I could tell, I think ZETA Division was not able to show all the plays that they had.”

The LAN environment can create new scenarios where preparation can be thrown to the wayside and the only thing fueling players is adrenaline.

For MaKo, these feelings that he saw ZETA Division experience are ones that he has dealt with when he faced international VALORANT talent at Masters: Berlin and Champions 2021.

That did not stop him from doing everything he could to put up his best performance.

“My main focus during that series was to study where ZETA liked to play on certain maps, and then I would capitalize on their biggest flaws,” MaKo said.

DRX only gave up a total of five rounds to ZETA Division in two games, where MaKo was the top performer in the series on Viper and Omen. Throughout the first map on Icebox, MaKo was unstoppable on the Viper, where he swiftly collected a 386 average combat score (ACS) and an uncontested Player of the Game nod.

While MaKo’s aim and outplays on Viper and Omen were at the forefront, it was his preparation and plan that he believes helped DRX dominate as much as they did.

“I would try to flank them at unexpected times and also play a little more back so that we would not get flanked from them either,” MaKo said. “I knew my role in the team and stuck to it. That helped us show a strong level that we are capable of.”

MaKo led the leaderboards throughout the two games with a collective 306 ACS and 37 total kills throughout the series.

Photo credit: Riot Games

With the overarching goal to win a major international event, DRX are learning from their previous losses and using them to achieve great things in 2022.

“Those losses forced us to grow stronger as a team and teach us how to bounce back from a loss,” MaKo said.

With a great performance to start their Masters: Reykjavik run, MaKo’s mind is fixated on the big picture.

“Winning one of these big LAN events is our goal. I think winning and lifting the trophy is going to be our north star,” MaKo said. “We can treat things like a day-by-day process, but in my opinion, that system does not work.”

Now, DRX are one series win away from qualifying for the double-elimination playoff bracket at Masters Reykjavík where they will go up against Ninjas In Pyjamas.

Many assumed that DRX’s next opponent would be Fnatic, but for MaKo, this next opponent is one that does not shock him.

“We were actually expecting NIP to make it through because of Fnatic’s situation with [Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev],” MaKo said. “We did prepare for both teams, but we put more prep into NIP.”

DRX’s match against NIP will take place Tuesday at 11 a.m. ET.

Lead photo credit: Riot Games