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DRX, one of Asia's most successful Valorant teams, was eliminated from VCT LOCK//IN 2023 after being defeated by LOUD in an enthralling best-of-five series.
The VCT LOCK//IN 2023 Semifinals kicked off with LOUD claiming the opening map Pearl, followed by Icebox. After being held at series point, DRX initiated an optimistic comeback which saw the Korean giants overpowering LOUD on Split and Fracture.
In the final showdown on Ascent, LOUD emerged victorious over DRX with a 3-2 series victory, securing their spot in the VCT LOCK//IN 2023 Grand Finals.
Despite putting up a formidable performance up until the very end, DRX was ultimately eliminated. They will head back home with their heads held high after claiming a respectable third-fourth place finish as well as a $40,000 cash prize.
stax reflects on DRX's performance in VCT LOCK//IN 2023 Sao Paulo, shares insight on Pacific League
After DRX's crushing loss to LOUD, both teams' players and head coach attended the post-match LOCK//IN press conference to answer questions regarding the event and the matchup.
In response to a question from Sportskeeda Esports, DRX's in-game leader (IGL), Kim "stax" Gu-taek, shared some of their takeaways from the event. The athlete said:
"Through our journey here at LOCK//IN, we were able to gauge how we would match up against other teams in the world. We have a better understanding and greater idea of the meta and also the compositions that the other teams will be running in the future."
DRX outperformed the rest of the Asian contenders at VCT LOCK//IN 2023.
Out of the 10 teams that have been frachised into the VCT Pacific League, DRX stands alone as the only team that has managed to earn a top-four finish.
Out of the nine remaining Pacific teams, seven were sent home after losing their opening matchup. Among those that failed to advance were renowned organizations like Paper Rex and T1.
Talon Esports managed to reach the semis of the Bracket Stage, while Team Secret made their exit in the Omega bracket quarterfinals. When asked about the upcoming Pacific League, stax said:
"I think the Pacific region is going to be tough. We have strong contenders here. So I think it's either that we really dominate or that we are going to have a tough time."
Regardless of their elimination from the 2023 LOCK//IN, DRX put on an admirable performance; one that raised the bar on what the fans can expect from the team ahead of their 2023 Pacific League campaign.
Fans can look forward to DRX taking on some of the best teams in the Asia-Pacific region in the 2023 Pacific League split, which is expected to commence on March 26, 2023.
