DRX Bids Farewell to BuZz, Foxy9 and BeYN on Free Agency

Just hours ago, DRX made an emotional announcement on their X account, revealing that they were parting ways with Yu "BuZz" Byung-chul, one of their longest-serving and most iconic players.

BuZz has been with DRX since 2021, when the team was still known as Vision Strikers, and his contributions were vital in establishing DRX as a dominant force in VALORANT’s competitive scene. Over the course of his tenure, BuZz competed in every VALORANT Champions event since its inception and helped the team secure a place at the top of Korean VALORANT.

Foxy9 and BeYN Enter Restricted Free Agency

Shortly after announcing BuZz's departure, DRX placed two more players, Jung "Foxy9" Jae-sung and Kang "BeYN" Ha-bin, on restricted free agency. Foxy9, one of DRX's initial signings after the team entered franchising in 2023, had become a key figure for the team, while BeYN, the most recent addition, joined DRX after the VCT Pacific Kickoff.

Both players, along with BuZz contributed to DRX's attempts to reclaim their dominance in the Pacific region, although the team faced difficulties throughout 2024. DRX repeatedly found themselves losing out to Gen.G, the rising powerhouse of the Korean VALORANT scene. With 3rd-4th place in the VCT Pacific Kickoff and VCT Pacific Stage 1, DRX was unable to qualify for both VCT Masters events, as Gen.G continued to thwart their ambitions.

The Leadership of MaKo and DRX’s Future Plans

The departure of longtime IGL Kim "stax" Gu-taek to T1 midway through 2024 marked a turning point for DRX. Under the leadership of Kim "MaKo" Myeong-kwan, the team experienced a resurgence, showing improvement toward the latter part of the year. Despite their second-place finish in VCT Pacific Stage 2, DRX ended the season with a decent run at Champions 2024, where they outperformed their rivals, Gen.G.

With only MaKo and Cho "Flashback" Min-hyuk remaining as active players, DRX is clearly planning to rebuild its roster around MaKo’s leadership. The challenge now lies in finding the right players to complement MaKo’s strategic vision and take DRX back to the top.

On the other side, rumors have already surfaced about Buzz reaching a verbal agreement with T1, where he will be reunited with his former IGL. But there has been no other news or hints regarding this move.

As DRX parts ways with iconic figures like BuZz and looks to reshape its roster, the team's future is full of potential but also uncertainty. With MaKo at the helm, DRX’s next steps will be critical in determining whether they can reclaim their place as the dominant force in Korean VALORANT.

There's still plenty of VALORANT action ahead in the OFF//SEASON. So, check in with Strafe to catch all of the latest VALORANT news.

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Featured Image Source: VCT Pacific/Riot Games

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