T1 Faker: "Rather than feeling like we lost because the opponent was that strong, I think we simply didn’t play up to the level we expected"

's MSI 2026 run came to an early end in Daejeon on Wednesday, as took down the reigning World Champions 3-1 in Lower Bracket Round 2. It marks G2's first series win over T1 since 2019, and the first time T1 have finished outside the top four at an international event.

In an interview with Sheep Esports, Lee “” Sang-hyeok shared his disappointment with the loss, addressed the questions around T1's draft, and explained why he believes the defeat came down to T1's own mistakes rather than G2's own strengths.

Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok: "We lost today, and it wasn't the kind of loss we expected, so I feel disappointed. It's disappointing.

Faker: Personally, I think we spent a lot of time trying to analyze G2's play. And when we faced G2 this time, things didn't really go the way we had expected, so I think that made it difficult for us.

Faker: In today's matches, the situations didn't really line up, so we didn't get many chances to bring out the picks we had prepared. I think we just ended up with more standard picks.

Faker: In terms of draft, I don't think we were perfect, but in today's match, I think the main reason we lost was that we all made a lot of mistakes in our play.

Faker: I think this tournament showed us that our team still has shortcomings. Still, I hope that next time we'll be able to fill those gaps better. Personally, I also feel there were things I could have done better today, so now I have more time to think about those things.

Faker: We have to start preparing for EWC very soon, so I'm not sure exactly what the schedule will look like, but I think we'll do our best in the remaining time to get a good result at EWC.

Faker: For G2, I think their team movements were very good today, and their play in skirmishes was very coordinated.

Faker: We did lose today, but honestly, it didn't feel like we lost because the opponent was that strong. Personally, I think we just didn't play up to the level we expected today, so I think we'll have to wait and see on that.

Faker: In other sports, AI-based analysis is already being used quite actively. But in League of Legends, research and analysis in that area are still lacking in many ways, so it may be a bit early. Still, I think it will definitely be possible to use it in the future.

Faker: Thank you to all the fans who supported us. We'll show you a better performance next time."