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Faker

From Liquipedia League of Legends Wiki


[e][h]T1T1 Faker
Player Information
Name:
이상혁
Romanized Name:
Lee Sang-hyeok
Nationality:
Born:
May 7, 1996
Seoul, South Korea (age 27)
Status:
Active
Role:
Team:
Alternate IDs:
Hide on bush, gojeonpa
Approx. Total Winnings:
$1,559,726
Links
Achievements
History
2013-02-06 — 2014-12-02Middle SK Telecom T1 K
2014-12-02 — PresentMiddle T1
Upcoming Matches
T1 T1T1
vs
(Bo3)
 Estral EsportsEstral Esports EST
May 1, 2024 - 11:00 UTC
Mid-Season Invitational 2024
MSI 2024 
Upcoming Tournaments
Mid-Season_Invitational/2024Mid-Season_Invitational/2024 Mid-Season Invitational 2024 
2024-05-01 00:00:00 UTC
May 01 - 19
Esports_World_Cup/2024Esports_World_Cup/2024 Esports World Cup 2024 
2024-07-01 00:00:00 UTC
Jul 01 - Aug 01

Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok is the most decorated League of Legends player. He is a 27 year old Korean, playing for T1 as a Midlaner.

Faker has won four World Championships (2013, 2015, 2016, 2023, the most of any player) and 2 Mid-Season Invitationals (2016, 2017), and has 10 combined LCK and Champions Korea titles. He is sometimes referred to as "The Unkillable Demon King" by Korean fans.[1]

Achievements[edit]

DatePlaceTierTournamentTeamResultPrize
2023-11-191stS-Tier2023 World Championship2023 World Championship2023 World Championship
T1T1
3 : 0
Weibo GamingWeibo Gaming
$445,000
2022-11-052ndS-Tier2022 World Championship2022 World Championship2022 World Championship
T1T1
2 : 3
DRXDRX
$333,750
2022-04-021stS-TierLCK Spring 2022LCK Spring 2022LCK Spring 2022
T1T1
3 : 1
Gen.G EsportsGen.G Esports
$163,965
2017-11-042ndS-Tier2017 World Championship2017 World Championship
SK Telecom T1SK Telecom T1
0 : 3
Samsung GalaxySamsung Galaxy
$620,540
2017-05-211stS-TierMid-Season Invitational 2017Mid-Season Invitational 2017
SK Telecom T1SK Telecom T1
3 : 1
G2 EsportsG2 Esports
$676,000
2016-10-291stS-Tier2016 World Championship2016 World Championship
SK Telecom T1SK Telecom T1
3 : 2
Samsung GalaxySamsung Galaxy
$2,028,000
2016-05-151stS-TierMid-Season Invitational 2016Mid-Season Invitational 2016
SK Telecom T1SK Telecom T1
3 : 0
CLGCLG
$250,000
2015-10-311stS-Tier2015 World Championship2015 World Championship
SK Telecom T1SK Telecom T1
3 : 1
KOO TigersKOO Tigers
$1,000,000
2015-05-021stS-TierLCK Spring 2015LCK Spring 2015
SK Telecom T1SK Telecom T1
3 : 0
GE TigersGE Tigers
$92,868
2013-10-041stS-TierSeason 3 World ChampionshipSeason 3 World Championship
SK Telecom T1 KSK Telecom T1 K
3 : 0
Royal ClubRoyal Club
$1,000,000
Extended list of results

Awards[edit]

DateTierTournamentAwardTeamPrize
2024
2024-03-25S-TierLCK Spring 2024LCK Spring 2024LCK Spring 2024All-LCK Second Team
T1T1
-
2023
2023-12-13MiscLCK Awards 2023LCK Awards 2023LCK Awards 2023Search King Award
T1T1
-
2023-12-13MiscLCK Awards 2023LCK Awards 2023LCK Awards 2023Mid of the Year
T1T1
-
2023-12-13MiscLCK Awards 2023LCK Awards 2023LCK Awards 2023Player of the Year
T1T1
-
2023-03-22S-TierLCK Spring 2023LCK Spring 2023LCK Spring 2023All-LCK First Team
T1T1
-
2022
2022-08-16S-TierLCK Summer 2022LCK Summer 2022LCK Summer 2022All-LCK Second Team
T1T1
-
2022-03-21S-TierLCK Spring 2022LCK Spring 2022LCK Spring 2022All-LCK First Team
T1T1
-
2020
2020-04-16S-TierLCK Spring 2020LCK Spring 2020LCK Spring 2020All-LCK Third Team
T1T1
$1,624
2017
2017-04-22S-TierLCK Spring 2017LCK Spring 2017Mid Lane KDA
SK Telecom T1SK Telecom T1
$1,760
2016
2016-10-30S-Tier2016 World Championship2016 World ChampionshipFinals MVP
SK Telecom T1SK Telecom T1
-
2015
2015-08-29S-TierLCK Summer 2015LCK Summer 2015Playoffs MVP
SK Telecom T1SK Telecom T1
$4,248
2015-04-24S-TierLCK Spring 2015LCK Spring 2015Super Play - Playoffs Round 2
SK Telecom T1SK Telecom T1
$464
2015-03-21S-TierLCK Spring 2015LCK Spring 2015Super Play - Week 9
SK Telecom T1SK Telecom T1
$464
2015-02-14S-TierLCK Spring 2015LCK Spring 2015Super Play - Week 6
SK Telecom T1SK Telecom T1
$464
2015-01-17S-TierLCK Spring 2015LCK Spring 2015Super Play - Week 2
SK Telecom T1SK Telecom T1
$464
2015-01-10S-TierLCK Spring 2015LCK Spring 2015Super Play - Week 1
SK Telecom T1SK Telecom T1
$464
2014
2014-01-25S-TierChampions Winter 2013-2014Champions Winter 2013-2014Season MVP
SK Telecom T1 KSK Telecom T1 K
$9,323
2014-01-25S-TierChampions Winter 2013-2014Champions Winter 2013-2014Mid Lane KDA
SK Telecom T1 KSK Telecom T1 K
$1,865
2013
2013-08-31S-TierChampions Summer 2013Champions Summer 2013Season MVP
SK Telecom T1 KSK Telecom T1 K
$9,009
2013-08-31S-TierChampions Summer 2013Champions Summer 2013Mid Lane KDA
SK Telecom T1 KSK Telecom T1 K
$1,802

Biography[edit]

Debut Year (2013)[edit]

Faker originally started playing League of Legends under the name 고전파 (Which can be read as Go-Jeon-Pa or gojeonpa), and initially only played normal games. However, after stacking up on victories, his matchmaking rate ended up being so high that the queue times ended up taking too long, which made him switch to ranked play. Nearing the end of the second season of ranked play in 2012, Faker ended up being ranked second on the Korean ladder, and in the following season claimed the number one spot. [2][3] At first Faker announced himself playing with an amateur team that consisted of himself, Bae "Bengi" Seong-woong, Kim "Ssumday" Chan-ho, and two other players. Later Faker was approached by coach Kim "kkOma" Jeong-gyun who was a coach for SK Telecom T1, who offered him a position on a team. He was then officially announced as the first player for the sister team SK Telecom T1 2 on February 6th, 2013. [4] With the signing, he also officially changed his gamertag to Faker from 고전파.

The team was later fully revealed on February 28th, officially named SK Telecom T1 K, and saw the additions of Jeong "Impact" Eon-young, Bae "Bengi" Seong-woong, Chae "Piglet" Gwang-jin, and Lee PoohManDu Jeong-hyeon. [5]

The team debuted in Champions Spring 2013, and in the opening match against CJ Entus Blaze Faker would already break out in his first game. Facing off against Kang "Ambition" Chan-yong who at the time was seen as the country's premier mid laner. In that game Faker managed to secure a solo kill on Ambition to take First Blood, after which he also pushed the advantage by tower diving the bot lane, and killing their jungler after that, he secured four kills in under eight minutes, and led the team to a decisive series victory. [6]

"The first time I went into the OngameNet booth? How was it... I was a little nervous. I didn't think I would be nervous, but I was nervous. It was amazing to go into a place I'd only seen on TV.

I solo-killed an Ambition player in that game, right? I think that’s how I started to become famous. It was the most memorable game, and it was the game I felt the happiest about after winning."
Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok ([7])

For the remainder of the tournament, Faker was the focal point of the team. He picked up over 36% of his team's kills and accrued a 133 kills in 20 games. In which he placed third overall in these statistics in the event. In addition, he also led the statistic of earned gold per minute and gold share. Even being the only player in the league to earn above 300 GPM. Furthermore, he ranked second overall in creep score, Only Ambition finished further than him in CS per Minute, but he played games that were two and a half times longer than Faker's on average. [8] However despite his efforts the team eventually was defeated in the Semifinals, as they lost against the eventual champions, MVP Ozone. They were able to console themselves with a 3-0 victory against CJ Entus Frost to end the tournament in third overall.

Faker and SKT hoisting the Season 3 World Championship trophy

Heading into Champions 2013 Summer had continued to refine his efficiency. Leading the statistic of CS per minute with 9.4, alongside leading the game in earned gold per minute, again being the only player to hit above 300 while also maintaining a 12.6 kills and assists average per game. Powered by an unprecedentedly efficient approach to the game, SKT went 6-0 in their group and only lost a single game on their way to the finals. At the finals, they had to face KT Rolster and initially found themselves behind 0-2 in the series. But in game three showed up with a great performance on Zed, securing a 9/0/8 KDA, and bringing back the team in the series. With another victory in game four, the team had tied up the series. And now had to face off in a blind pick game five. This format led to the Zed mirror match-up against Yoo Ryu Sang-wook in the midlane. Although the game was already heavily in favour of SKT, it did birth one of League of Legends iconic moments as Faker outplayed Ryu. As Faker was able to come back from a huge HP deficit by dodging Ryu's abilities in an intense display of mechanics and managed to kill Ryu. Following the outplay, the series was closed out with SKT's victory, crowning themselves the champions of the tournament. Faker was also awarded the MVP award of the season. [8]

With their victory, they were seeded straight into the finals of the Regional Finals. Here they'd again face off against KT Rolster who made their way through the bracket, and this time SKT won the series in a convincing 3-1 record, with KT even surrendering in the last game. With this victory, Faker was set to make his international debut at the Season 3 World Championship.

Heading into the tournament, Faker was already being seen as the world's best midlaner, if not the world's best player. Following an interview with Oh My God's midlaner Yu "cool" Jiajun after OMG had won a game against SKT in the Group Stage, he stated how hard it was to kill Faker in the game, nicknaming him the Unkillable Demon King, a nickname that would stick throughout time. Apart from their loss against OMG, SKT managed to beat all other teams in their group to secure a 7-1 record to secure their spot in the Quarterfinals where they had to face off against the Gamania Bears which they convincingly beat 2-0. It was only in the semifinals that SKT was tested as they faced off against fellow Korean team NaJin Black Sword. The series would be a back-and-forth going the distance, but ultimately SKT came out on top to qualify for the grand finals. Here they convincingly beat Royal Club in a 3-0 sweep, even closing out the third game in just over 20 minutes. With this victory, Faker had won his first Worlds title at just the age of 17.

Gallery[edit]

Media[edit]

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Trivia[edit]

  • Faker attented the same high school (Mapo High School) as Deft.[9]
    • At the time, Faker was ranked first on the ranked ladder, while Deft who was in another class was around rank 100.[10]
    • Fans dubbed Faker and Deft as the Mapo duo, with Faker getting the nickname Mapo High School's Rabadon's Death Cap and Deft being named Mapo High School's Bloodthirster. [10]
  • The nickname of The Unkillable Demon King originates from the Season 3 World Championship, where Oh My God's Midlaner cool had given him the nickname after their match in the group stage.[8]
  • Faker has a variety of champions picks in LCKLCK, locking 76 unique champions.[11]
  • Rarely uses skin on his champions during official matches.[9]
  • Would pick jungle if he was forced into another role.[9]
  • Brushed his teeth with shower gel at All-Star 2015 All-Star because there was no toothpaste.[12]
  • The only clothing he owns are SK Telecom T1 uniforms and white t-shirts.[13]
  • In February 2020, Faker become a Part-Owner of T1 T1T1.[14]
  • Faker has been having the longest carrer with a single team in esports history, marking 11 years for T1T1T1.[9]
  • Faker is the first player ever to play 900 games in LCKLCK, reaching against Nongshim RedForceNongshim RedForceNongshim RedForce in LCK 2024 Spring.[15]. Futhermore, he's the first player to win 600 games[16] and reach 3000 kills in LCKLCK[17], reaching these achievements against DRXDRXDRXand BRIONBRIONBRIONin LCK 2024 Spring, respectively.
  • Owns a building in Seoul that is known as Faker Tower located at 114-12 Hwagok-dong in Gangseo, which is a nine-storey building, with the top floor hosting Faker's own company.[18]

Pentakills[edit]

Date Tournament Team Vs. Champion Position VOD
2015-01-07 LCK Spring 2015 SK Telecom T1SK Telecom T1 Najin e-mFireNajin e-mFire LeBlanc Mid VOD

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Faker (2016-10-28). "Unkillable". The Players' Tribune. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
  2. ↑ Kyeongbeom "Its" Kim, Sung Wook "Beckor" Baek, Woo "Ready" Hyun (2017-06-12). "Rising from the Ashes: The Living History of SKT T1 Faker". Inven Global.
  3. ↑ James "Bick" Hong (2018-11-17). "SKT T1 Faker And Wolf Behind The Scenes. Faker: "I only started to first play ranked queue because I couldn't find matches in normal queue anymore."". Inven Global.
  4. ↑ Jeon Ju-han (2013-02-06). "SKT T1 '고전파' 이상혁 영입, 2팀 창단 초읽기 [SKT T1 recruits ‘classic’ Lee Sang-hyeok, counting down to the creation of a second team]" (in South Korea Korean). Inven.
  5. ↑ Seo Dong-yong (2013-02-28). "SK텔레콤 T1 LOL팀, 팀명 변경. 1팀 2팀에서 'S'와 'K'로! [SK Telecom T1 LOL Team, team name changed. From Team 1 and Team 2 to ‘S’ and ‘K’!]" (in South Korea Korean). Inven.
  6. ↑ John Popko (2024-04-03). "The Makers of Faker Heroes of Heartbreak: Ambition’s Role in Forming Faker’s Reign" (in English Speaking English). Inven Global.
  7. ↑ "매거진S 페이커 "누구도 내 위에 있을 수 없다" [Magazine S Faker: "No one can be above me"]" (in South Korea Korean). Inven. 2014-10-17.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "The Greatest Rookie Ever T1 Faker's Untold Story" (in South Korea Korean). Red Bull Gaming. 2022-08-10.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Matt Porter (2021-05-26). "10 things you didn't know about League of Legends supremo Faker". Red Bull.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Interview Faker and Deft Are High School Friends?!". Inven Global. 2019-07-16.
  11. ↑ LCK (2024-02-21). "With the Hwei pick, @faker has locked in his 76th unique champion pick in the #LCK!".
  12. ↑ "Captain Jack's All Stars Diary". 2015-12-22.
  13. ↑ Ashley Kang (2017-10-13). "Longzhu PraY: "All-Stars is no longer the festival that it used to be"". Gameishard.
  14. ↑ Tyler Erzberger (2020-02-17). "Faker's groundbreaking new contract -- from T1 superstar to part-owner". ESPN.
  15. ↑ T1LoL (2024-02-21). "@faker has recorded his 900th LCK game!".
  16. ↑ LCK (2024-02-01). "ALL RECORDS LEAD TO FAKER".
  17. ↑ LCK (2024-02-03). "3956 days, 75 unique champions. @T1LoL Faker has become the first player to reach 3000 LCK kills!".
  18. ↑ Syazwan Bahri (2023-04-03). "Esports Legend, Faker, Owns A Tower And Is Named After Him". IGN Southeast Asia.
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