Deft (gamer)

Kim Hyuk-kyu (Korean: 김혁규), better known as Deft (Korean: 데프트), is a South Korean professional League of Legends player for DRX. In 2018, he was selected as one of the torch relay runners for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, alongside his fellow kt Rolster teammates.^[1]

Early life[]

Deft attended the same high school with Faker from T1.^[2]

He used to play Sudden Attack before going professional. He is a fan of Tottenham Hotspur F.C. and a fan of Son Heung-min.^[3]

His favourite champion is Jinx.^[4]

Career[]

Season 3

On February 18, 2013, Deft joined MVP Blue. The team placed 9-12th place in Champions 2013 Spring and 9-16th place in Champions 2014 Summer.

Season 4

On September 6, 2013, Deft joined Samsung Blue. The team achieved much success in Champions placing respectively 5-8th, 1st and 2nd place in Winter, Spring and Summer Splits. The team qualified for Season 4 World Championship going into the tournament as favorites. The team ultimately fell at the hands of their sister team, and eventual World Champions, Samsung White in semi-finals. Deft left the team after the Season 4 World Championship.

Season 5

On November 11, 2014, Deft joined Edward Gaming with his former Samsung teammate and World Champion, PawN.

The duo achieved much success in LPL 2015, placing 1st in both Regular Season Splits, qualifying for Season 5 World Championship and winning Spring Split Playoffs, China Regional Qualifier and the first edition of Mid Season Invitational - an international event, where the winners of all major regions are invited to compete between Spring and Summer Splits.

Edward Gaming ultimately fell in their quest of bringing the World Championship to China for the first time in a losing effort against the European Champions, Fnatic in quarter-finals.

Season 6

Deft would stay in EDG for another year, where the team achieved 2nd and 1st place respectively in Spring and Summer splits, as well as regular season splits.

The Team faced RNG in both finals losing Spring 1:3 and winning Summer 3:0.

Deft and EDG qualified for 2016 World Championship, where they lost 1:3 in quarter-finals against Korean ROX Tigers. Deft went back to Korea after the tournament.

Season 7

On November 30, 2016, Deft and his longtime teammate PawN joined KT Rolster alongside other stars ROX Tigers toplaner Smeb, and RNG support Mata in Korea, creating a "Super Team Rivalry" against Seasons 3,5 and 6 World Champions SK Telecom T1.

The teams met in the LCK Spring Split Finals, where KT fell 0:3, and LCK Summer Split Semi-Finals, where KT failed to win again, this time 2:3.

This loss pushed the team out of qualifying for the Season 7 World Championship Tournament, and KT had to win the Korea Regional Qualifier in order to make it.

In Regional Qualifier Final KT lost to eventual World Champions, Samsung Galaxy 0:3.

Season 8

Deft and the rest of KT Rolster decided to remain in the team even after a disappointing season. The team would place 3rd in Spring Split Playoffs and 1st in Summer Split Playoffs, where they defeated the rookie sensation team of Griffin 3:2, making it Deft's second LCK title.

Deft received the most MVP games in the whole league, but did not win the Spring Split MVP award.

KT Rolster qualified for World Championship Tournament, where they lost in an extremely close series to eventual World Champions Invictus Gaming 2:3.

Season 9

On November 25, 2018, Deft and his Samsung, EDG and KT teammate PawN joined Kingzone DragonX. The team achieved 3rd place in Spring Split Playoffs. Deft was voted tied 1st for MVP games in Spring, but Griffin mid laner Chovy received the MVP award.

In Summer Split, Kingzone mid laner PawN started having health issues, which forced him to step down as an active player and ultimately to end his career.

The team collapsed, placing 7th in Summer Split regular season and made it the first time in Deft's career where he missed playoffs.

However, high placing in Spring Split let Kingzone get a second chance at qualifying for World Championship, but the team ultimately fell in Regional Qualifier Finals to Damwon Gaming in a close, 2:3 effort.

Season 10

On October 10,2019 Kingzone DragonX rebranded as DragonX, and decided to rebuild the team around Deft. The team was completed, by rookies Pyosik and Keria from DragonX academy, and the Griffin duo Doran and Chovy. This meant, for the first time in over 5 years Deft and PawN were not in the same team, making them the longest playing duo in League Of Legends Esports history.

DragonX placed 3rd and 2nd respectively in LCK Spring and Summer Splits, which qualified them for Mid Season Cup 2020 Season 10 World Championship.

Deft received All-LCK 3rd team honours in both Splits.

At Mid Season Cup, DRX placed tied for 2nd in the group with a 2-1 record, but lost both tie-breaker games.

The team lost the LCK Summer Season Finals against Damwon Gaming 0:3

At World Championship DRX lost again in the quarter-finals to the eventual World Champions Damwon Gaming 0:3

Season 11

On November 23, 2020, Deft and his DRX mid laner Chovy joined Hanwha Life Esports.

The team struggled for most of the Spring Split, but managed to get 3rd place in LCK Spring Split Playoffs.

In Summer, the struggles piled up even more and the team placed 8th in LCK Summer Split, the lowest place Deft achieved since 2013.

However, a high standings placement in Spring Split let HLE get a second chance at qualifying for the 2021 World Championship, where the team went on a "miracle run" winning 2 series in a row from the lowest placement in the bracket, and pushing eventual winners T1 to five games.

Second place allowed Deft and Hanwha to qualify for the World Championship, this time as the lowest LCK seed having to start the season from The Play-In Tournament. HLE placed 2nd in Play-Ins and managed to make it to the quarter-finals, where they eventually met T1 again, in a losing effort 0:3

Career Stats

Deft is the seventh player to reach 1,000 kills in the LPL on August 26, 2016.^[5] He is the ninth player to reach 1,000 kills in the LCK. He achieved his 1,000 kills on March 21, 2019. His 1,000th kill was on kt Rolster Kingen's Aatrox with his Ezreal.^[6] He is the first and only player to have reached 1,000 kills in two different regions.

On February 4, 2021, Deft won his 300th game in the LCK.^[7] His 300th win was against Afreeca Freecs.

On March 14, 2021, Deft became the third player to have played 500 games in the LCK. He won his 500th game against Liiv SANDBOX.^[8][9]

Deft is the current all time-kills leader in League of Legends Esports, with Uzi and Faker behind him.

Accomplishments[]

References[]

External links[]

• Deft on Facebook