The first team to win Worlds after starting in the play-in stage was DRX. The Korean fourth seed completed its run by defeating T1 3–2 in the 2022 World Championship final.
DRX entered the tournament through the play-in stage in Mexico City, where it went undefeated at 5–0. It then advanced through the group stage and eliminated defending champion Edward Gaming in a quarterfinal reverse sweep. After beating Gen.G in the semifinals, DRX met fellow LCK team T1 in the final at San Francisco’s Chase Center.
The victory was widely described as a Cinderella run because DRX had barely secured Korea’s final Worlds place and faced several heavily favored opponents. It was also the organization’s first international title and the first World Championship won by a play-in team. DRX’s win made it the first fourth-seeded team to lift the Summoner’s Cup.