Story Context of Worlds 2023’s Cinematic GODS (Deft’s Story)

The music video “GODS” tells the story of Lim “Deft” Hyuk-kyu, focusing on his journey after competing for the Worlds title in 2022. Filled with meaningful references to his life and career, the video is heartfelt and nostalgic for fans, highlighting Deft’s determination and passion as he continues striving for greatness.

Formative years (Before going pro)

The first scene shows Deft walking on a snowy campus, making his way up some stairs wearing a backpack going to his high school. 

Inside the classroom, you see Deft with Faker—the League of Legends GOAT who was actually his classmate in real life. You'll also see a motivational poster hanging in the back of the classroom that reads: “School Motto: The most important thing is the unbreakable heart.” This quote comes from Deft himself in an interview last year.

Deft Comparing himself to Faker (Worlds 2013)

After attending school, Deft began playing professional League of Legends in 2013. This is shown in the video with Deft playing in his room, grinding solo queue as Ezreal and taking down the BLUE buff as a reference to his team MVP Blue in 2013.

While Deft was taking the blue buff down, Faker took down the Baron while having Zed's blades on his arms, depicting his first-ever World Championship win with SKT T1.

Deft's Relentless Pursuit of a Title (Worlds 2014)

In the video, PawN with his Jayce is seen chasing down Deft's Lucian and slamming his hammer on him, leading to the next scene where we see Deft sad but pressing forward.

Deft didn't give up. He transferred to Samsung Blue, who were first seed in Korea and favorites to win. Unfortunately, Samsung White knocked them out, depicted with PawN's Jayce slamming Deft. This in turn made SSW the World Champions that year. After this incident, he left the team.

Rekkless slices Deft and his Dynamic Duo Meiko (Worlds 2015)

Deft is shown playing Sivir alongside Meiko, who is using Thresh. They have each other's backs, but then Rekkles emerges from the shadows. The duo tries to retaliate but ends up being electrocuted by Rekkles.

This scene depicts the first game of Fnatic against EDG during the quarterfinals of Worlds 2015. Reckless picked AD Kennen and performed so well that EDG tried to replicate the pick but ultimately failed. The series ended with Fnatic winning 3-0.

The KT Rolster Super Team

Deft pushes himself back from the computer, rolls his gaming chair close to the Worlds crowd, and then explodes with multiple skills. He then rolls himself back to the computer to play another game.

This scene fast-forwards to his time with the KT Rolster super team in 2016. They won LCK Summer 2018 but were still unsuccessful at Worlds. They were defeated by Invictus Gaming in a close series, finishing 2-3. Invictus Gaming, in turn, became the champions that year.

Defeated by the Villains (DWG) of Worlds 2020

In the video, Deft and Doran (Jax) try to kill Canyon on his Graves, but they fail, and he is pushed back against a wall. ShowMaker appears, uses Unleashed Power, but Keria blocks the ult and dies for Deft. Deft screams in rage and tries to fight back, but ShowMaker hits him with a Dark Sphere, pushing him into the darkness.

Deft joined DRX in 2020 with Keria and Doran, facing DWG in the quarterfinals but losing 0-3. During this time, Canyon and ShowMaker were the best players in the world. DWG used Syndra and Graves during their first game, as depicted in the video. This loss led to many unfortunate events for DRX, resulting in them having to play in the Play-ins during Worlds 2021.

The Doubts from Fans and Self-Doubt

Deft sinks into a dark place, descending lower and lower until he reaches the bottom. He then reaches up, and his teammates from the winning roster pull him back up, slowly rising to continue the battle.

He sinks into darkness due to doubts cast by fans and haters about his ability to win. As he gets older, he is always close to a title but fails to finish. His DRX teammates pull him back from the depths, and the elevator represents their play-ins and group stage run to reach the playoffs, marking the start of DRX’s underdog story.

Defeating Meiko's Renata

Deft faces his former teammate, Meiko's Renata Glasc, and dodges his skill, Loyalty Program. As Draven, he throws Whirling Death at Renata to defeat him.

In Game 3 against EDG, who won Worlds 2021, Deft pulled out Draven. Facing off against Meiko (and Viper), he managed to secure this critical win. This victory sparked a reverse sweep, with DRX ultimately winning the series 3-2.

Defeating Doran

Deft, using Varus, faces Doran, on Renekton, who is now on Gen.G. Despite being chased by Doran, Deft defeats him with a Piercing Arrow.

In Game 4 of the series, Deft’s former teammate Doran, now on Gen.G, was playing Renekton. Deft, on Varus, secured a crucial victory that led to DRX winning the semi-finals and advancing to face T1 in the finals.

DRX Defeats T1

Deft’s Caitlyn squares off against Keria’s Karma, now with T1. Faker’s Viktor tries to take down Deft, but Keria’s Bard arrives just in time to turn the tides. Pyosik’s Hecarim leads the charge, followed by Kingen’s Aatrox, while Zeka positions Deft’s Caitlyn for that Ace in the Hole. Together, they win the World Championship.

The video commemorates the champions they selected for Game 5, capturing the intense moments where DRX nearly faced defeat but rallied to secure victory, ultimately winning Worlds 2022. Despite Gumayusi’s numerous Baron steals during the game, DRX showed relentless determination, proving that they deserve to win. 

Deft's Journey

Deft's journey has been a rollercoaster of highs and lows, beautifully depicted in the Worlds Cinematic. The video, complemented by ‘Gods’ from NewJeans, offers fans a compelling perspective on his career, inviting viewers to decipher the context clues woven throughout. It illustrates the challenges and moments of striving to become a League of Legends world champion. We're looking forward to seeing what Riot has in store for us in the Worlds 2024 cinematic. 

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