Kiwoom Securities makes its esports bet as KIWOOM DRX opens VCT Pacific with a win
South Korean brokerage firm's naming-rights sponsorship of a top Valorant team signals traditional finance's growing appetite for competitive gaming audiences
A South Korean brokerage firm now has its name on one of the most recognizable Valorant rosters in the world. And that roster just started its season with a statement.
KIWOOM DRX defeated Japan’s DetonatioN FocusMe 2-1 on July 17 in their VCT 2026 Pacific Stage 2 Group Omega opener, kicking off the second stage of the Valorant Champions Tour with a best-of-three victory.
Why a brokerage firm is sponsoring a Valorant team
The “KIWOOM” in KIWOOM DRX isn’t a gaming brand or an energy drink. It’s Kiwoom Securities, one of South Korea’s established brokerage firms. The company secured naming rights for the DRX roster during the 2026 season, rebranding the squad from plain “DRX” to its current form.
The match itself
On the server, KIWOOM DRX’s rebuilt roster showed it could compete immediately. The team fielded MaKo, free1ng, HYUNMIN, BeYN, Yong, and newly added player Flicker. That’s a mix of veteran talent and fresh blood, assembled after what was by all accounts a turbulent offseason of roster changes.
DetonatioN FocusMe came in with their own revamped lineup: Meiy, akame, SSeeS, Caedye, and yatsuka. DFM pushed the series to three maps, but DRX closed it out 2-1.
The VCT Pacific stage features teams from South Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Oceania competing for spots at international events. Starting with a win in Group Omega gives KIWOOM DRX early momentum in what will be a long grind toward qualification for the bigger stages of the Champions Tour.