Worlds 2022 Champion Demoted to DN Freecs ' Second Roster

DNF sent their star jungler, Hong "Pyosik" Chang-hyeon, to the academy, a surprising move for a player who was recently considered a key figure on the global stage.

Pyosik gained fame in 2022 when he became a world champion with DRX . His performance at Worlds was a crucial factor in the team's historic championship run, which saw them progress from the Play-In stage to the title.

However, after his triumph at Worlds, Pyosik's career began to decline rapidly. In 2023, he moved to North America, joining Team Liquid . The team finished the spring split in eighth place and managed to reach the top 3 in the summer, but still fell short of expectations. At the world championship, Team Liquid failed to advance from the group stage, even losing to the wildcard team GAM Esports .

In 2024, Pyosik returned to South Korea and signed with KT Rolster , where he played alongside scene veterans — Bdd , Deft , and BeryL . Despite the star-studded roster, the team finished fifth twice in the season, failing to reach the finals.

2025 was supposed to be a reboot — Pyosik joined the ambitious DNF project. However, the team had the worst season in the league, ending the split with a 0-10 record. After a series of defeats, Pyosik was moved to the second lineup, giving up his starting position to rookie Slayer .

It remains uncertain whether Pyosik will return to the main roster or spend the rest of the season in the second division. His journey over the past three years — from world champion to academy player — vividly illustrates how quickly things can change in the pro scene.