T1 retains Faker for another three years!

T1 had an amazing season in League of Legends, winning the LCK Spring split with a perfect record, finishing second in the Summer split, and then nearly winning Worlds 2022.

The strength displayed by T1’s roster throughout the season was almost unmatched, and if it weren’t for their failure in the Grand Final of Worlds, T1 would have easily been the best LoL team of 2021-2022.

After T1 failed to win the World Championship, there was some speculation that the team’s best player, Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok would be leaving the club. Even though he had been a T1 player since 2013, the community had doubts about his willingness to try again. The match against DragonX was probably the most painful one of his career.

Faker’s importance to T1

Faker is simply irreplaceable. His knowledge of the game and dedication to it are second to none. There are very few players who can do what he does and even those players tend to depend a lot on the rest of their team.

Faker, on the other hand, has often been able to carry T1 to improbable victories and utilize his individual talent to create an advantage, either in team fights or in the laning stage.

With Faker in the mid lane, T1 has a solid game and only a strong opponent will manage to outsmart them. And his contribution to his team is not just technical. He probably also directs his teammates during the games, telling them what the right strategy is in any situation.

That’s the part that few people will see when it comes to players like him. Their input is not limited to their in-game actions.

Faker’s decision to stay

Even though it was rumored that Faker would leave T1 and join a North American club, the player has agreed to sign a contract that would bind him to T1 until 2025 (inclusively!). This means that Faker will almost certainly end his LoL career having played for a single club.

In esports, that is extremely rare. Even the most conservative players have competed for at least three teams, and many change teams at least once every two years. Faker seems to be loyal to T1 and it’s understandable why.

This club gave him the opportunity to launch his LoL career when he was very young. And since then, he has become the most successful LoL player in the history of this esport. He played five times in the Grand Final of Worlds and won three of those matches. Not to mention all the other trophies he’s won.

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