In an interview with esports.gg, DRX BeYn reflected on the match against FNATIC and vowed to come back stronger.
DRX faced FNATIC in their first match of the VALORANT Champions 2025 Playoffs. The only Korean team in the tournament struggled, dropping the first map to a huge comeback, bouncing back with a clean second-map win, but faltering on the third.
In an exclusive interview with esports.gg, DRX’s Kang "BeYN" Ha-bin discussed what went wrong and praised the team’s resilience and teamwork in keeping everyone on the same page. He also spoke about his own energy on stage and shared his thoughts on DRX’s upcoming match against G2 Esports on Sept. 27.
FNATIC's comeback on Haven
Sofia: I would like to understand what the key elements were that led to FNATIC's comeback on the first map, when it looked very winnable for DRX at the time.
DRX BeYn: It was the small, minor mistakes that kept on building up, and I think we had a little bit of miscommunication in some parts. We're going to make sure that this doesn't become a pattern moving forward.
Sofia: Were you expecting this aggressive way of playing the game from FNATIC?
DRX BeYn: We knew that FNATIC wasn't the type of team to play so aggressively on all three maps, and we tried to find their weak point in that regard. We were aware of how they play and focused on making sure that we had our grounds covered, and that really paid off in Ascent, but not in the other two, unfortunately.
Sofia: Coming from the Group Stage, how has DRX adjusted its preparation to the Playoffs stage?
DRX BeYn: Since we didn't want to feel any pressure, we played like we did on the Group Stage, with the mindset of "let's do this without regrets." However, from the mid-game, we started to feel the pressure. We will have to pay more attention to the next match.
Sofia: As a veteran, we know that MaKo has a lot of experience on international stages. Before today's match, did he say any words of motivation?
DRX BeYn: He's not that type of player, but he is one of those I can rely on. However, we help each other out. I help out Myung-kwan, and he helps me. We all help each other. That's just how DRX rolls. We help each other become our best selves.
The next challenge against G2 Esports
Sofia: As we know, FNATIC and DRX have played each other for a while and have played in every Champions edition. Did that add extra pressure to you, or did it motivate you?
DRX BeYn: From the perspective of the viewers, having that back-and-forth pattern and the jinx might be a fun element added to watching the game. But I don't think it affected our mentality at all. We were focused on winning today's match.
Sofia: Today, we haven't had the opportunity to see you as much, celebrating and bringing that energy to the stage. Where did you find it within yourself?
DRX BeYn: I don't really care about it. But today, I don't know why, I was not feeling that vibe, and that might be one of the factors that led to our defeat. [The energy] didn't come to me today.
Sofia: I would like to know who had the idea of that cute moment with HYUNMIN and the adorable VALORANT hats.
DRX BeYn: [Our] manager said, "Why don't you try it?" And then he took a picture of us with the hats on.
Sofia: You're next match will be against G2 Esports. What do you think about it?
DRX BeYn: G2 Esports has been a team that has been winning everything in the North American league and also showing a good performance in the international tournaments. I think it will be a difficult match, but that doesn't mean we are going to lose. We will try our best, just like we did in previous matches. We will try to enjoy the match as much as we can.
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