After nine straight losses in the LCK Round 1–2,
DN Freecs are still without a single win—a critical situation that puts their playoff hopes in serious jeopardy. In an attempt to turn things around, the team benched midlaner Lee "
BuLLDoG" Tae-young in Week 7, promoting Lee "
Pungyeon" Jong-hyuk for the match against
Gen.G. Now, ahead of today’s series against
OKSavingsBank BRION, it’s 2022 World Champion Hong "
Pyosik" Chang-hyeon who finds himself benched. Taking his place in the jungle will be Bang "
DDoiV" Moon-yeong.
Things were already looking shaky back during the LCK Cup, where the team struggled to find momentum. Their only win came on January 15 against
Nongshim RedForce, and since then, nothing—no victories in over three months. They were knocked out during the Play-In stage by
DRX. As the LCK Round 1–2 began, the losses kept piling up, and to this day, the team has yet to find a solution. Perhaps the recent roster changes will bring some answers, but it may already be too late, as a playoff appearance now seems highly unlikely.
Fun fact: since rebranding from Kwangdong Freecs, the team has only won a single best-of series, sitting at a combined 1–15 record across the LCK Cup and Round 1–2. Within the current roster, if there’s one player who’s stood out even slightly, it’s Kim "
Berserker" Min-cheol. The AD Carry has shown flashes of promise, but it hasn’t been enough to carry the team to victory. Next week, DN Freecs are set to face
KT Rolster and Nongshim RedForce—two crucial series that could very well determine their fate this split.
