With the conclusion of MSI and the Oil Cup, the major LOL leagues have kicked off their third phase one after another. The schedule for the LCK region is particularly harsh for GEN, offering no rest at all. They returned only to face HLE, and the outcome was predictable: HLE was swept 2-0. In another match on the same day, the Rising group (Nirvana) saw DK facing BRO, and no one could have anticipated that the former world champion team would be beaten badly by the bottom-ranked team.

DK battled BRO for three games but ended up losing. Interestingly, before the match, DK released a poster with Xu Xiu's caption: "My goal is to achieve a perfect record. We will become a team that can reach greater heights and show everyone a good side." Having just set a flag of not losing a single game, they faced a humiliating defeat in their debut. It seems that the training match where IG won DK 9:1 was indeed true.

Let's review this BO3 and see how Xu Xiu performed. In the first game, DK picked a no-engagement composition, and by the 10-minute mark, there was still no first blood. Approaching 11 minutes, Xu Xiu attempted to gain vision in the river, ignoring his teammates' signals to retreat, and ended up caught by the enemy jungler and support, giving away first blood. At 13 minutes, Xu Xiu was caught again, resulting in another death, leaving him with a mid-lane score of 0-2.

Fortunately, both top and bottom lanes had advantages. Siwoo's Gwen became quite strong, and they won the match through team fights in the late game. In the second game, Xu Xiu picked his signature champion, Syndra, but the early to mid-game was still a peaceful development. It wasn't until the 16-minute mark that the first blood was finally taken, and Xu Xiu again started with a 0-2 score. This time, Siwoo played Sion, and without a carry in the team, DK was beaten around by BRO in team fights, equalizing the score.

In the final decisive game, DK's top laner Siwoo faced issues, getting solo killed by Mogen. Xu Xiu in the mid-lane struggled, failing to support while playing Ryze. By the 20-minute mark, DK was in a dire situation, and this Ryze also started with a 0-2 score. After three games, Xu Xiu's overall performance was 3-13, which is worse than even the support who struggles to get kills; Beryl's combined score over three games was still 4-11. Xu Xiu truly outdid him in terms of deaths.

Currently, DK has significant issues in the mid-lane. Xu Xiu struggles to hold his own against anyone, merely mixing it up with opponents. Even when he gets champions like Taliyah or Ryze, which have lane control and support capabilities, he still can't push against the enemy, constantly getting locked down in mid-lane. Not only does he fail to make an impact in lane, but he also easily gives opportunities; whenever the enemy jungler and support catch him, he goes down on the spot. It's no exaggeration to say he is the weak link.

If they can't even beat BRO, facing BFX might end up being a disaster. In the third phase of the LCK, each team has to play 12 matches, and only the top three in the Nirvana group can qualify for the play-ins to compete for playoff spots. The good news is that DK won many matches in the first two phases, and with NDF and DRX also in the Nirvana group, DK should be able to avoid losses against them, so making it into the top three shouldn't be a significant issue.

It's been less than five years since DK's championship, and who would have thought that Xu Xiu, who helped restore LCK's glory, would be performing so poorly now? DK probably regrets signing a long-term contract with Xu Xiu; as long as he is around, it will be hard for DK to achieve good results. This year, forget about reaching the World Championship; it feels like even making the playoffs will be challenging. However, I personally hope DK can secure the fourth seed and then lose to LPL in the World Championship, missing out on the Swiss round of the main event.

Conclusion:

Xu Xiu's claim of not losing a single game might mean losing just one match while failing to win the rest. Given his current form, he doesn't even seem to qualify as a second-tier mid-laner. He has no champions he excels at, and his signature Syndra is often picked in unfavorable matchups, resulting in no benefit. The only effect of picking her seems to be to torment his teammates, which is indeed hard to endure.

So, do you think DK can make it to the World Championship this year?

Feel free to leave your comments for discussion!