Faker returns for his third Asian Games “I consider this a privilege”

This Tuesday, August 25, the departure ceremony for South Korea’s national esports team for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games was held in Seoul. Scheduled to take place from September 19 to October 4, the Asian Games have featured esports disciplines for several years, alongside other recognized sports such as football, athletics, and swimming, with medals awarded at the end of the competitions. As such, the entire Team Korea of Esports gathered at the Sangam Cube Convention Center for an event organized by the Korean e-Sports Association, the organization in charge of esports for the South Korean Olympic Committee.

South Korea will therefore be present in Japan, notably in League of Legends, where it is the defending champion, as well as in eight other competitions, out of a total of eleven esports disciplines. With this total, the peninsula ranks second among the nations sending the most participants to the Aichi Sky Expo, where all esports competitions will be held, behind Hong Kong with ten appearances and level with Malaysia. South Korea will therefore skip two disciplines, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Naraka: Bladepoint. The LoL tournament is expected to take place on October 2, bringing the esports disciplines at the Asian Games to a close.

A superstar among esports stars, especially in South Korea, Lee "" Sang-hyeok was obviously in attendance and will likely be one of the most closely followed names at the 2026 Asian Games. “It is a tremendous honor to be competing in the Asian Games for the third time. I consider this a privilege,” he said on stage, having already represented his country in Indonesia in 2018 and China in 2023.

Unsurprisingly, the South Korean midlaner, as reserved as ever, is ready to compete for his country: “My goal is to give my all in every international competition and do my best in my assigned role.” He went on to explain that “every competition is important, but I think the Asian Games is an event that not only gaming fans but also the general public can watch.” He continued to emphasize this point, noting that the fact that the competition “can instill a sense of national pride in many people” also creates “a certain amount of responsibility and pressure,” meaning that the Asian Games “carries a bit more weight” than other competitions.

That weight and those expectations were also addressed on stage by Kang "Hirai" Dong-hoon, coach of the League of Legends national team. For him, the sole focus is “to win the gold medal with a strong performance.” Having initially prepared to face China at the Asian Games, Hirai explained that “once China’s withdrawal was confirmed, we set a unified goal with the players, regardless of who our opponent would be.” That goal is therefore the ultimate medal, which would also allow the players who win it to avoid mandatory military service.

This adds extra pressure for some of Faker’s teammates at the Asian Games. Of his five teammates, with the selection consisting of six players in total, three were already present in Hangzhou in 2023: support Ryu "" Min-seok and toplaner Choi "" Woo-je, alongside the star midlaner. For Team Korea jungler Kim "" Geon-bu, second midlaner Kim "" Geon-woo and AD Carry Lee "" Min-hyung, success in Japan next October could mean completing their competitive careers without having to spend two years in military service.

Away from League of Legends and on an esports title that is much more niche in the West, but which has its own competitive scene in Asia, Identity V, a mobile game similar in concept to Dead by Daylight, will feature the only woman sent by the KeSPA to the Asian Games. Park "PHR" So-yeon, who has been actively competing in the game since 2021, has already competed at two of the game’s World Championships, in 2021 and 2026, and qualified with her team to represent South Korea in Identity V. “When I was selected, I didn’t know I was the only woman or the first one,” she initially said on stage. “Now that several people have pointed it out to me, I realize it.”

Beyond her place within the Team Korea of Esports, PHR seems more than ready for the challenge, and especially comfortable with the fact that she can serve as an example for others. “At first, I didn’t pay much attention to it, but now I believe that if I pave the way,” she explained on stage in front of the press, “other female gamers who are passionate about video games like me will emerge. Looking back on this experience and putting myself in the other players’ shoes, I want to give it my all and have no regrets,” she ultimately said, aware of the importance of representation in encouraging more women to enter competitive esports ecosystems.

Despite an expected Chinese dominance, with the country having won eight of the game’s nine world championships, she still said she wants to “take this opportunity to test their skills. And if possible, I want to win.”