League of Legends Worlds: Can Faker Build His Michael Jordan-Like Esports Legacy?

In sports, performances are sometimes so athletic that they are difficult to calculate. For example, Michael Jordan defies gravity with his jumping abilities.

In e-sports there is the Michael Jordan of e-sports: Lee Sang-hyeok, the 28-year-old South Korean superstar best known by his in-game name “Faker.”

What does it look like when Faker pulls off an incredible esports feat? So how does that transition go when competing in one of the world's largest competitive gaming tournaments?

Newcomers to League of Legends (LoL) may want to call tech support about a faulty computer monitor. But that's exactly how the four-time LoL world champion moves. Every step is calculated and every “mistake” is planned.

Counterfeiters at work: pic.twitter.com/xEdAo0y0EF

— LoL Esports (@lolesports) October 27, 2024

The League of Legends World Championships (LoL Worlds) 2024 has been an ongoing competition across Europe since September 25th with events in Berlin, Paris and London. The event ends on Saturday at London's O2 Arena, where defending champions T1 take on Chinese team Bilibili Gaming. Faker has been a household name in T1 – and esports in general – for more than a decade.

Saturday's finale is the top priority, but the Hall of Famers aren't afraid to discuss plans for greater success in the future.

“Even if I win the World Cup this year,” he said, “(Saturday) won’t be my last chance.”

In competitive LoL, two teams of five compete against each other in a multiplayer online competition. Players level up by defeating computer-generated enemies and defeating the avatars of their human enemies, with the ultimate goal of destroying their opposing team's base.

Huge maps and game mechanics bring with them a large dose of unpredictability, forcing Faker and the rest of the players to constantly switch back and forth between multiple interfaces to get a better overview. A constantly flickering screen is the byproduct of maximizing efficiency.

Pure mechanics alone didn't earn Faker the nickname “The Immortal Demon King.” Since making his debut as a 17-year-old pro, Faker has won 10 League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) national titles, and on the biggest stage, LoL Worlds, he could have a ring for all five fingers on one hand if he can lead the South Korean team to another championship run on Saturday.

For some challengers awaiting Saturday's grand finale, one statistic stands out: T1 is 8-0 all-time against Chinese teams in LoL Worlds.

Teams from the League of Legends Pro League (LPL) in China have made a name for themselves in esports history at LoL Worlds in recent years, winning 2018 (Invictus Gaming), 2019 (FunPlus Phoenix) and 2021 (Edward Gaming ) raised the championship trophy. However, in the next three tournaments, Faker led T1 to two consecutive championship appearances.

Bilibili is the reigning LPL champion. With the hope of a nation on their shoulders, the newcomers realize that Saturday is more than just a few rounds of play.

“T1 is undefeated against LPL teams at the World Cup, but that doesn’t matter much to me,” said 22-year-old Bilibili star Chen “Bin” Zebin. “Our team has actually never lost to T1 in a best-of-five series, so I think the game will be an easy 3-0 win for us.”

Bin's teammate Zhuo “Knight” Ding has the big task of clashing with Faker right in the mid lane of the map. Knight, one of the game's rare southpaws, was eliminated by Faker and T1 in the semifinals last year as a member of JD Gaming. After teaming up with Bin in Bilibili, Knight sees an opportunity to hang a banner and forge a new legacy.

On the other hand, Faker is hoping for a win as he and Knight had both wins and losses in previous encounters.

“This time all I can do is do my best to prepare,” Faker said. “The result will follow.”

Faker will have extra motivation to perform well on Saturday. He said his family would make the flight from South Korea to London and a win in front of his grandmother Kwon Oyun would be one of the greatest achievements for someone who already has several championships on his resume.

“I am very grateful that they decided to fly more than 12 hours to support me and give me a lot of energy and support,” said Faker. “I couldn’t spend time with my family members, but they supported me inside and out.”

(Top photo by Faker: Carsten Koall / Picture Alliance via Getty Images)