Legends of the League: Faker

It takes a crazy level of skill and dedication to be recognized as a GOAT beyond your own game’s community. Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok has that down to a science.

His name is synonymous with greatness, both in League of Legends and across esports as a whole. Faker's legacy is built on years of clutch playmaking and mechanical brilliance, making him the most decorated player in the game's history and the first-ever inductee into the Hall of Legends.

Unlike many professional players, Faker has played his entire 12-year career under one organization: T1—previously known as “SK Telecom T1," "SK Telecom T1 2,” and “SKT T1.” Over 1000 professional games later, he’s showing no signs of slowing down.

Faker’s influence extends far beyond the game itself, shaping gaming culture at large. As the most marketed player in gaming, his portfolio includes brand deals with gaming-centric companies like Razer and Secretlab, as well as more generic consumer products like his recent Stealer Eyewear collaboration.

Faker’s journey began as many before him—by grinding solo queue. His dominance in the Korean ranked ladder caught the eye of SKT, who was looking to build a sister roster around him. His exceptional skill and high MMR earned him a spot with the organization that would one day become the most successful franchise in League of Legends history.

Despite debuting in 2013 at just 17, Faker’s first game showcased his potential. Initially playing on SK Telecom T1 2 (later renamed SK Telecom T1 K), his team quickly outpaced its predecessor.

In his first professional appearance, Faker secured an iconic solo kill under the enemy turret against Kang "Ambition" Chan-yong, then one of Korea’s top midlaners, just 6 1⁄2 minutes into the game. Even in his first tournament, Faker’s mechanics were elite. His gold per minute, creep score, K/D/A, and kill percentage surpassed many of the most-experienced veteran players. Though his team fell in the semifinals of Champions 2013 Spring, they secured an astounding third-place finish.

In Champions 2013 Summer, SKT T1 2 dominated, dropping just one game in groups and making an incredible comeback from 0-2 in the playoff finals. Faker’s ability to survive impossible situations and pull off miraculous plays became what he was known for. To this day, one of his most iconic moments came in the legendary Zed vs. Zed showdown, solo-killing Ryu "Ryu" Sang-wook and leading to the championship title for the roster. Faker’s mechanical prowess held strong through the remainder of Season 3, and the team not only made Worlds 2013, but incredibly, took home the Championship Title. At the young age of 17, Faker became a world champion.

Now called SKT T1 K, Faker's team continued their domestic dominance in 2014—their second season–coming to a head in a 19-game win streak. The godlike team soon found their kryptonite—Samsung’s rosters. Samsung Ozone (later Samsung White, shortened to “SSW”, then merged into SSG) ended SKT’s legendary streak in the Spring Playoffs, ultimately preventing them from qualifying for Worlds in another Summer Playoffs defeat. With only the chance to qualify through the Korean Regional Finals, SKT K faltered again in a loss to NaJin White Shield. The heartbreak was amplified, as Worlds 2014 was being hosted in Seoul—an opportunity to win on home soil, lost. This would also be the last season with multiple SKT rosters, due to Riot’s ruling changes regarding the allowed number of rosters per organization in the LCK.

In 2015, SKT T1 K and S merged, leaving Faker and Bae "Bengi" Seong-woong as the only main roster holdovers from SKT T1 K. The reformed squad struck gold. They finished second at MSI 2015 and secured a spot at Worlds during their debut season.

At Worlds 2015, SKT T1 crushed their opponents leading up to the finals hosted in Berlin. There, two Korean teams advanced to the championship—KOO Tigers and SKT T1. SKT took the win with a smooth 3-1 victory, making Faker and Bengi the only two players at the time that had won multiple Worlds titles.

Faker’s team continued their domination of the LCK through 2016, entering Worlds 2016 as the second seed from Korea, climbing up to the Finals—held in Los Angeles—to fight for the crown once again. This victory wasn’t easy though, as SKT had managed no clean victories from the quarterfinals onwards. In the quarters, SKT went 3-1 against Royal Never Give Up, and then were faced with a grueling five-game series against ROX (formerly KOO) tigers that pushed them to their absolute limits. Considered by many to be one of the greatest series in LoL history, SKT ultimately came out on top with decisive plays from Faker. Waiting for them in the Finals was their old kryptonite, Samsung. In a nail biting Bo5 match, SKT claimed victory over Samsung Galaxy. History got written once again. Faker and Bengi, together, became three-time World Champions.

In 2017, SKT T1 saw a number of roster changes. Some players departed, including Bengi, Faker’s longtime teammate and "right hand". The team started strong, winning the Spring Split and earning another MSI title. Some cracks started to form. Even so, the Unkillable Demon King’s mechanics held strong. When it came to high-stakes tournaments, many online spectators said that Faker felt like the last line of defense.

In Worlds 2017, SKT T1 faced Samsung Galaxy once again in another finals rematch. This time, there was no redemption. Faker and his team suffered a crushing 0-3 sweep. The Unkillable Demon King was human. SKT could bleed. Overcome with emotion, Faker cried on stage; the image became ingrained in esports history.

The sting of their 2017 Worlds loss to SSG lingered. SKT finished 4th in the LCK Spring Split, but their Summer Split collapsed, ending 7th and missing Worlds—held that year in Korea. The curse of home-hosted Worlds continued.

2019 saw a renewal in SKT’s domestic power. They won both LCK splits, but it was the European G2 esports that stopped them at both MSI and Worlds, leaving them in 3rd-4th place on both international stages. For most teams, a strong finish—for SKT T1, not enough. The org rebranded from SKT T1 to just T1, Faker extended his contract, and young talent joined the roster. The future looked bright. Then came another heartbreak. A brutal 0-3 loss to Gen.G in the 2020 Regional Finals kept them from Worlds once again..

2021 had ups and downs—4th in Spring, 2nd in Summer—but they secured a Worlds spot through Regionals. T1’s run ended in a crushing 2-3 loss to Damwon KIA Gaming (now Dplus KIA). Another year, another heartache–this time on the semifinals stage.

T1 knew that something needed to change, and they brought a fresh roster, one that would soon be one for the history books. The new team would consist of Choi "Zeus" Woo-je, Mun "Oner" Hyeon-jun, Faker, Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyeong, and Ryu "Keria" Min-seok. The team stomped during their Spring season, dropping no matches, and landed a second-place finish at both MSI and the Summer LCK playoffs. Qualifying for Worlds 2022, T1 progressed through the bracket until the iconic upset in the finals of Worlds 2022. T1 ended their run for the championship in a 2-3 loss to underdogs DRX, a devastating outcome for the team.

In 2023, T1 ran it back with the soon-to-become legendary ZOFGK roster and had a strong run. The team was nearly undefeated through Spring before tragedy hit. Arm and hand injuries sidelined Faker until his comeback in late Summer. He made his sixth World Finals appearance, and this time, T1 dominated in a 3-0 win, decimating Weibo Gaming. After years of struggle and heartbreak in his journey to earn another title, Faker had done it. He was now the sole 4-time World Championship winner. The emperor had returned.

T1 ran back the ZOFGK roster in 2024. Despite fluctuations, T1 remained a top contender. Their ultimate goal? Worlds. While they weren’t landing first-place finishes, T1 was consistently landing in the top three at every S-tier tournament they participated in.

Bilibili Gaming (BLG) and T1 seemed pretty evenly matched; in this Final, we saw the reigning MSI Champions pitted against the reigning World Champions. It was honestly anyone’s game. The first three matches were landslides, with one team getting a huge lead. BLG won decisively in the first, T1 dominated the second. BLG got ahead during the third, securing almost all they would need for a World Championship under their belt. The last two games, the tension was high. T1 was down 1-2, their reputation on the line. Game four finished with a significantly lower kill disparity than all previous matches, with T1 winning at just 14-9 kills.

Finally, in game five, T1 came out on top 12-6, with an incredible hero performance from Faker's Galio showing the whole world just why he's considered the GOAT. The now younger roster had been guided, not just carried, by Faker’s strategy. Faker had claimed his fifth victory over the LoL World Championships.

In January 2024, Riot Games announced that they were working on the Hall of Legends—a new way to immortalize the cream of the crop when it came to League of Legends pros. Their new, personalized version of a hall of fame had no inductees upon its announcement, but the internet came to one conclusion—who else but Faker?

In May 2024, Faker was announced as the first inductee, confirming what much of the League of Legends community speculated. He was celebrated with a celebratory video, pop-up store, ceremony, and custom Mercedes. In game, Faker got his own month-long battle pass with exclusive skins for his signature champions, Faker-themed icons and emotes, a title, ward skin, banner, and more. Players could also purchase the controversial $500 Ahri skin, which felt out of place to many, due to Faker’s general avoidance of skins in game.

Faker’s story isn’t just a tale of career-long dominance—it’s one of resilience, evolution, and a relentless dedication to the game. From his early days hopping into solo queue, to becoming the backbone of T1 through every high and low, he has cemented himself as the definitive face of League of Legends. He’s had to reinvent himself and the team he’s created. Even now, more than a decade into his career, he continues to set the standard for excellence in esports.

As the five-time Worlds champion and the first inductee into the Hall of Legends, Faker’s legacy is untouchable. His impact spans far beyond trophies and clips—it can be felt throughout the League of Legends community, and gaming culture as a whole. Whether he’s leading a new generation of talent, adapting to the ever-changing meta, or proving that the Unkillable Demon King still reigns, one thing is clear: Faker’s story isn’t over yet.