LoL: "I don’t think there are players with as much visibility and influence as they have within T1", says COO

In the second part of his interview with Chosun, T1 Chief Operating Officer Josh Woongki Ahn shared more details about the organization’s management philosophy, from new international sponsors to how the club handles its retired stars. This follows the first part, where he talked about T1’s financial progress, roster plans and ambitions with Homeground events.

One of the main subjects of this second part concerned T1’s recent deal with Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Global, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. According to the COO, this deal, the largest in T1’s history, was secured after he personally wrote a handwritten letter in Arabic to the Crown Prince. "Our staff worked really hard. But when we felt our efforts weren’t getting enough results, I consulted a professor who specializes in the Middle East. He suggested: “Why don’t you try writing a handwritten letter?”," Josh Woongki Ahn stated. for

“It took me about 20 hours, since Arabic is very hard to write,” Ahn explained, noting that he used ChatGPT and an Arabic professor’s help to refine the message. The letter emphasized that “the vision of T1 and Saudi Arabia are aligned,” a point that reportedly resonated with bin Salman, who also chairs the Esports World Cup Foundation.

Beyond sponsorships, T1 has been innovating in fan engagement and revenue diversification. The COO pointed to the adoption of b.stage POP, a communication app where fans can interact directly with players. Initially criticized, the service has since proven successful, both as a new revenue stream for players constrained by salary cap regulations and as a way to strengthen bonds with supporters. Unlike merchandising or sponsorship revenue, which primarily benefit the organization, income from b.stage POP flows directly to the players, providing them with additional earnings opportunities outside their fixed salaries.

Josh Woongki Ahn also outlined T1’s “retirement school,” a structured program aimed at giving former players meaningful second careers. Rather than limiting them to streaming, T1 has brought back figures such as Lee "Wolf" Jae-wan, Bae "Bang" Jun-sik, Lee "GBM" Chang-suk or even Park “Untara” Ui-jin. The latter came back as an academy coach and even a mental mentor for the first team, according to Ahn.

“Teaching is a respected profession everywhere,” the COO said, stressing that T1 wants retired pros to remain part of its ecosystem in ways that command respect. In the interview, he also specifies that the academy tries to avoid “false hope,” filtering out students unlikely to make it pro to prevent wasted time and money.

When it comes to active players, Josh Woongki Ahn emphasized the importance of roster stability in building identity. While Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok’s recent contract extension until 2029 has drawn headlines, the COO underlined that the legacy of lineups such as “ZOFGK” (2023 & 2024 Worlds Champions lineup) boosted not only team results but also commercial performance. “A few years ago, Faker dominated merchandise sales. Now, other players’ products sometimes sell more,” he noted.

“I don’t think there are players with as much visibility and influence as they have within T1,” Ahn added, highlighting how the current generation is building its own legacy alongside Faker. Looking ahead, the COO expressed a more personal ambition: making T1 a place where not only players, but also staff, can thrive. “I want our employees to become wealthy and proud of their work,” he concluded.

The video and article that serve as sources for this article. The quotes in this article are translated from Korean.