Following T1’s second-place finish at the LCK Road to MSI 2025, League of Legends veteran Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok is heading to his seventh Mid-Season Invitational event.
For his first series at MSI 2025, Faker and his team will face off against LPL Mid Season winner CTBC Flying Oyster on July 4th at 1 am BST.
While the competition in Vancouver is an opportunity for Faker to add yet another international trophy to his collection, the legendary mid-laner is more focused on performing well for his team and those important to him.
“To me, the ultimate goal is to inspire my friends by showing good performances,” Faker told Esports Insider ahead of his MSI 2025 debut. “So here in Vancouver, I’m trying to accomplish things like sleeping well and meditating at least twice a day so that I can show good performances on stage.”
As the most accomplished player in League of Legends esports, Faker already has five World Championship trophies and 2 MSI titles under his belt. When asked if he had noticed any athlete at this year’s MSI Play-In Stage that reminded him of himself, the mid-laner declined.
“It’s only been the Play-In Stage of the tournament. So I mean in just a few games have been played, so there is no particular team or players that comes to mind in my opinion. But as the stage goes on, I am anticipating [that I’ll] meet good players in further stages.”
Fair answer — it takes a lot to embody the likes of the Unkillable Demon King.
What it Takes to Become Faker
Given Faker’s exceptional track record throughout over 10 years of competition, T1’s star mid-laner is often idolised by the LoL community and even by his peers. Rookie players, in particular, have grown up grinding the game with the dream of one day achieving a fraction of the legacy that is the Unkillable Demon King of League of Legends.
When asked if there are any misconceptions about the path to excellence and what it has taken to get to Faker’s level, the esports icon had no real complaints to warn young players about. In contrast, he believes fans may not fully realise the positive impact his career has had on his well-being.
“One thing that fans may not sympathise with that much is that, in the life of professional gamers, you get to sit a lot of the time. So in the perspective of sacrifices, you may sacrifice some health, for example,” Faker noted.
However, Faker does not necessarily view these health implications as a sacrifice. As his career continues, he has had more opportunities to balance his training and well-being optimally.
Behind the Pro Player Personality
Faker describes himself as a ‘naturally calm and quiet’ person, explaining that this might be why he is perceived as the ever-professional, focused and disciplined competitive gamer in the eyes of the esports community.
Interestingly, the pro player rarely follows popular media and celebrity culture despite having reached a global popularity beyond the esports scene himself. When asked about a celebrity he was excited to meet, Faker admitted: “I don’t follow media that much, so when I meet celebrities sometimes, I don’t really know them all.”
One particular encounter that stood out to him, nonetheless, was with South Korean footballer Son Heung-min.
“Last year right after Worlds, I had a chance to meet Son Heung-min from Tottenham Hotspur, and we greeted each other and exchanged a lot of encouraging words. I think that’s one that I can put into my memory,” shared Faker.
Faker recalls that the meeting was special to him as the footballer told him that he was a big fan of him right after the League of Legends star had won his fifth World Championship. While Faker may not be paying attention to other celebrities, they are paying attention to him.
As one of the biggest personalities in competitive gaming, Faker is also known for his incredible mechanical skill across various titles in addition to League of Legends. In the past, he has been spotted playing Little Nightmares, Shovel Knight, Maplestory and more. If the god of League of Legends were to ever create his own game, however, it apparently wouldn’t be very cozy at all. Instead, it would be just as monumental to the gaming community as the legend himself.
“If I ever design a game,” Faker revealed to Esports Insider, “I’ll try to make it very hard and very challenging so that when the fans actually get to clear those games, they feel very accomplished.”