DRX coach termi reveals internal struggles behind historic Champions miss

DRX coach termi reveals internal struggles behind historic Champions miss

KIWOOM DRX head coach Pyeon "termi" Seon-ho has opened up about the internal instability that defined the team's 2026 season after DRX failed to qualify for VALORANT Champions for the first time.

DRX 's historic qualification streak ended following a 2:0 defeat to T1 in the VCT Pacific Stage 2 lower bracket, leaving the organization outside Champions after five consecutive appearances.

Rather than blaming the pressure of maintaining that record, termi said the team spent much of the season simply trying to solve problems inside the roster.

DRX 's Champions streak comes to an end

DRX had qualified for every edition of VALORANT Champions alongside Fnatic since the early years of the circuit.

That run finally ended in 2026.

T1 eliminated DRX 2:0 in Lower Bracket Round 1, finishing their Stage 2 campaign in 7th–8th place and removing their final path to Shanghai.

For termi and MaKo , who had been present throughout DRX 's entire Champions streak, the result represented the end of a major chapter.

Leadership instability shaped the season

One of DRX 's biggest problems centered around the in-game leader role.

MaKo originally handled calling duties before the responsibility moved to BeYN during the 2026 season.

According to termi, DRX had originally intended to recruit a dedicated IGL heading into the year.

However, an unexpected player absence in December 2025 left the organization without enough time to find an appropriate replacement before the free-agent market dried up.

The team instead shifted responsibility internally.

MaKo had previously struggled with combining calling duties with his individual responsibilities, prompting DRX to experiment with BeYN as IGL.

Late in Stage 2, MaKo regained confidence and asked to take over leadership once again.

The repeated changes contributed to a season in which DRX struggled to establish a stable identity.

Play-In schedule hurts Abyss preparation

The team's problems also extended to map preparation.

DRX entered the playoffs through the Play-In stage, allowing them to maintain competitive rhythm but leaving them with less time to prepare for recent map changes.

That became particularly damaging on Abyss.

The map had traditionally been one of DRX 's stronger battlegrounds, but the team did not have enough time to develop fresh compositions and setups following its return to the pool.

Instead, DRX relied on familiar strategies.

T1 punished those tendencies and defeated DRX 13:7 on Abyss during the elimination series.

termi described the Play-In route as a trade-off: teams maintain match sharpness by playing more frequently, but sacrifice preparation time compared with squads already seeded into the playoffs.

DRX turn attention toward 2027

The elimination leaves DRX facing one of the most significant rebuilding periods in the organization's VALORANT history.

The team must resolve its leadership structure and improve roster stability before the 2027 season.

After years of international consistency, DRX will now spend Champions Shanghai watching from home for the first time.