26-year-old Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok is the most famous and arguably the most successful player of League of Legends of all time. If everything had gone according to plan, he would have become a world champion in LoL for the 4th time in 2017 after titles in 2013, 2015, and 2016. But since then, things have gone wrong. However, 2022 is supposed to be his year again.
This is what makes Faker special:
- Faker was already huge in the prehistoric times of LoL: back when the MOBA was relatively small, around 2013, the South Korean was already making headlines.
- In 2013, SK Telecom built a team around the then 17-year-old. He won the Worlds in his first year as a central player – then won two more world champion titles in 2015 and 2016. He was already a legend in his early 20s.
- The big twist came in 2017: it was actually clear that Faker would become a world champion again that year, but at the decisive moment in the final, Samsung Galaxy was better. Faker failed and broke down in tears.
To this day, the rumor persists: Samsung Galaxy only won because their midlaner Ambition had just gotten married and thus enjoyed the “Wife Buff,” while Faker has always been single.
This made Faker a role model for a generation of players who said, “If Faker doesn’t have a girlfriend, then I don’t have one either.” (via inven)
4 South Korean Midlaners become World Champions from 2018–2021, but not Faker
What happened afterward? After 2017, it was like being cursed for four years. T1 and Faker could no longer connect to the glorious times.
His own teammates retired, and suddenly there were strong new South Korean midlaners who took Faker as a role model:
- The South Korean Rookie was always regarded as “Mini-Faker,” who had moved to China and became world champion in 2018 with “Invictus Gaming.”
- The South Korean midlaner Doinb also moved to China and won the world champion title in 2019 as a “Super-Carry” with FunPlus Phoenix.
- In 2020, ShowMaker was already the next generation of midlane geniuses. He led the South Korean team DWG KIA to the title.
- In 2021, Scout again brought a South Korean midlaner to the top with a Chinese team, this time EDWard Gaming.
But since 2016, since T1 and Faker, no team has been dominant at the top for several years.
All these years, Faker played with T1 either not a role at all or somehow got eliminated stupidly in the semifinals, even against Europeans – actually a blasphemy.
Even Faker, the “undying demon king,” seemed very, very mortal in a defeat against G2 Esports in 2019.
What is different this year? 2022 could grant him another Worlds title. Because Faker has now surrounded himself with an extremely strong team at T1.
Especially the botlane with the brilliant supporter Keria is a real gem, Keria is considered one of the best LoL players of all time, even though he is only 20. His partner in the botlane, Gumaysui, is also only 20 and a beast.
As Gumaysui confidently states, there is hardly a botlane worldwide that can compete with him and his partner regarding how deep the champion pool is and which combos can be played.
With Zeus (19) and Oner (18), the team has two more strong players who are steadily improving and functioning as a unit.
Faker himself, at 26, is something like an “Elder Statesman” on the team and must lead the young professionals.
What does Faker do differently? In an interview, Faker is asked what he is doing differently in 2022 than before:
“In the past, I sometimes felt so much pressure, but now I can overcome that and just enjoy it more. When I play, I play from very happy, optimistic emotions.”
Faker says: Now everyone at T1 looks up to him, also because he is the captain of the team. Therefore, he thinks he tries even harder than before to be the best possible version of himself and remain approachable for everyone who needs him.
He also has every reason to be optimistic: Keria and Gumaysui are the only players at the Worlds who still have a double-digit KDA: Keria is at 12.7 – Gumaysui even at 18.5.
What happens next? Faker plays on Saturday, October 29, in Atlanta Georgia in the semifinals of the Worlds. It’s against JD Gaming. If he wins that, he will play in the final against another South Korean team, either DRX or Gen G.
Gen G. would be the dream final – because they are the Samsung Galaxy, who messed up his tour in 2017. Even the ADC from back then, Ruler, is still around today. He is also 5 years older than back then and eager for the title.
For those wondering why Faker, at 26, is still playing LoL and not in the military:
Politicians want to change the law so that Faker can continue to play LoL
Your opinion is important to us!
Do you like the article? Then let us know!