LCK and T1 officials highlight Faker’s impact on esports’ mainstream rise

“I believe his presence has been the biggest factor in bringing esports into the mainstream.” These are the words of Lee Jung-hoon, Secretary General of the LCK, South Korea’s League of Legends league, speaking about Lee “” Sang-hyeok. He gave this answer in an interview with Marie Claire, published on August 21, 2026, when asked about the “biggest turning point” for esports in becoming mainstream.

For him, on this matter, “we cannot leave out the emergence of Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok.” The LCK commissioner explains that, for a sport to achieve success, it needs “a legacy, meaning a history and star players,” with “past victories and decisive moments from finals accumulate in people’s memories and become part of a discipline’s history.” However, he also emphasizes that “the stars who represent that discipline attract the public,” and that League of Legends, like traditional sports disciplines, “has iconic star players.” Therefore, based on his explanation, if he had to choose a single representative for esports as a whole, “it would obviously be Faker.”

The Secretary General’s recognition of the South Korean midlaner is also evident in the second question, which focuses on Faker, where Lee Jung-hoon explains that, despite his duty to remain neutral, “when it comes to Faker, that is not easy.” For the LCK official, “I have come to respect him not only for his performance but also as a person,” particularly highlighting that “his ability is unquestionably at the highest level in the world,” as well as the way he has managed his career.

In another interview published at the same time by Marie Claire, Jeong Hoi-yoon, General Manager of T1’s League of Legends division, also spoke about the team’s star midlaner. He says that he “feel[s] a great deal of pride and gratitude for being able to work alongside Faker.” For the South Korean manager, the six-time LoL world champion being “a symbolic figure representing esports is a stroke of good fortune and a gift to this industry.” Jeong Hoi-yoon continues to express his admiration for Faker, explaining that “he was already an exceptional player when I first met him, but every year, it feels as though he raises that standard even further.”

He continues to praise his star midlaner, saying that “the existence of an icon like Faker in esports feels like a blessing given to this industry so that it can succeed.” Later in the interview, he adds that “Faker is a famous figure, but when people encounter him on the street, they are often very warm and friendly toward him,” emphasizing that, in his view, esports players are much closer to the public than traditional sports stars, to the point that “they have naturally become familiar figures in everyone's minds.”