In LoL there is a concerning clip that has consequences. The South Korean star player Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok lost a match against his arch-rivals GenG. The League of Legends star apparently could not cope with the defeat and repeatedly hit his head against a wall in frustration. Fans are worried about their idol and are sending him much love.
This is the situation surrounding T1 and GenG:
- T1 is the most popular team in the world. Faker is the iconic star of T1, known and revered by LoL players for over a decade. But even though T1 is so strong internationally, there is a team in Korea that is considered their nemesis and has been in a clinch with them for years: GenG.
- GenG has been the national top rival of Faker’s team, T1, for many years. They were also the ones, back then as Samsung Galaxy, that inflicted the bitter defeat on Faker at the Worlds in 2017, after which Faker broke down in tears.
- Since 2022, T1 has finished second behind GenG 6 times in the regular seasons and playoffs. Only 3 times has T1 triumphed over them (via lol.fandom)
Also in 2024, GenG is impressively strong again. With a record of 15-0, they lead the Summer Split in South Korea. T1 is in 4th place with a record of 8-6. GenG has continually acquired the best Korean players and this year they seem even stronger than in previous years.
Faker is considered an iconic player of LoL, who became world champion in 2023, but this year GenG seems unbeatable:
Faker Hits Head Against a Wall, Scaring Fans
This was the shocking scene: In a regular match on August 3, T1 faced GenG and although T1 started strong, GenG managed to turn the match around.
Faker lost his composure, hitting his head 4 times against a partition, then collected himself briefly and hit his head a 5th time and visibly harder against the wall before teammate Gumaysui could stop him.
Commentators saw the clip as a sign of the immense pressure professionals in LoL are now under.
“I Only Earned My Degree with Honors Because of You”
These are the reactions: In the days following, the hashtag “#We_Stand_For-Faker” was established online, under which LCK fans express their support for Faker.
In numerous posts, people reassure how much T1 and Faker mean to them:
- A girl writes that she graduated with honors from one of the best universities in Vietnam and she only achieved that because of Faker. He and T1 saved her from the “darkest time of her life”.
“You Treat Other People So Gently – But Not Yourself”
- Another fan urges Faker: “Please don’t hurt yourself. We all love you. You treat other people so gently, but not yourself. Take care of yourself.”
- A third fan says: “I am so proud of you and I admire you. Please smile more. I like your smile. Trust yourself, we will always stand behind you and support you. You deserve more than this.”
- “I know that you stand under a lot of dirt, even though you always try to be the best. Please take good care of yourself. I hope you don’t forget your own worth and don’t forget to believe in yourself. I will always be by your side.”
- “We love you Faker, whether you win or lose. Please be gentle with yourself.”
Faker was recently honored by Riot Games in 2024 after ending a long drought and winning the Worlds again in 2023, for the fourth time. However, the honor he received is also viewed critically, as Riot Games completely commercialized and dedicated to him an outrageously expensive skin: Faker sells items worth 10 annual salaries of normal people in an hour – Would never use his 450€ skin himself
