Faker turns 30 — The League of Legends player that became a globally recognized icon

As Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok turns 30 this Thursday, May 7th, the League of Legends superstar stands as something far bigger than a world champion or esports celebrity. Over the past decade, Faker has grown into a cultural icon in South Korea and one of the most famous names in gaming worldwide, with his influence reaching into music, sports, entertainment, and internet culture. After over a decade of competition, Faker represents the highest level of greatness esports has ever produced for millions of fans, pro players, and even celebrities.

Faker made his professional debut in 2013 at just 17 years old for SKT T1, and within months, his rise through League had already started to shape his esports history. That same year, he won his first regional title and his first World Championship. His famous Zed outplay against Ryu "Ryu" Sang-wook — the famous “Faker, what was that?”— quickly became one of the most iconic clips in esports history. More than 13 years later, we are still talking about that moment.

Faker’s fame eventually grew far beyond LoL Esports’ ecosystem. In South Korea, he is often viewed less like a gamer and more like a national sports celebrity, with musicians, athletes, actors, and streamers regularly mentioning him as an inspiration. Members of BTS have publicly praised Faker, while Korean media frequently place him alongside some of the country’s biggest modern cultural figures.

According to Win.GG, Faker’s net worth sits at around $20 million as of 2026, mostly fueled by sponsorships and his partial ownership of his own organization, T1.

Faker earned the nickname “The Unkillable Demon King” because of the way he played during the early years of his career. His mechanics looked impossible, his confidence never seemed to break, and for years, he made the best players in the world look helpless against him. By the age of 20, Faker had already won multiple LCS titles, two Mid-Season Invitationals, and three World Championships, leading SKT T1 through what many still consider the greatest dynasty in LoL Esports’ history.

And so part of Faker’s legend came from how untouchable he looked at his peak. Opponents often targeted him with extra bans and strategies built entirely around stopping him, yet he still found ways to carry games. Fans saw him as the player who could survive any situation, outplay anyone, and win under any pressure — the perfect image of an “unkillable” player.

But Faker’s story is not only about dominance.

In 2017, SKT lost the World Championship final to Samsung Galaxy, ending years of international supremacy. The image of Faker crying on stage after the defeat became one of the most emotional moments in esports history and marked the beginning of a difficult period for both Faker and T1.

The next defining chapter came five years later, in 2022, when T1 returned to the Worlds final for the first time in years. Many fans believed Faker was finally about to reclaim his throne, but T1 lost to DRX in one of the biggest upsets LoL Esports fans had ever seen. Faker and the new T1 roster were defeated by his childhood school friend Kim "Deft" Hyuk-kyu, whose underdog victory became legendary.

But instead of fading away, Faker and T1 responded with another comeback.

A year later, in 2023, Faker represented South Korea at the Asian Games alongside , , , , and . The team won gold and the achievement gave the players exemption from South Korea’s mandatory military service.

From 2023 to 2025, he led T1 to three straight World Championship victories, proving he could still dominate more than a decade after his debut. T1 ‘s run in the past few years transformed Faker from an esports superstar into a symbol of longevity, pressure, and consistency rarely seen in any competitive environment.

Now at 30, Faker remains the face of League of Legends and one of the greatest esports players of all time.

Here below we listed all Faker’s biggest wins across his career as listed on LoL Fandom: