Meet Korean esports star Faker, the League of Legends sensation admired by BTS and other K-pop idols

Lee Sang-hyeok – or Faker as he's more commonly known to his legion of fans – is possibly the greatest esports player you may not have heard of. The 28-year-old South Korean is a multi-millionaire, owns a building in Seoul, and is a five-time world champion in Riot Games' competitive multiplayer game, League of Legends (LoL).

With a career spanning 12 years so far, Faker's popularity is legendary, where even esports pros from other games are familiar with his name and reputation. In his home country, his fans include K-pop stars such as BTS, Enhyphen and more.

Globally, he's a bona-fide superstar, so it's no surprise to find hundreds of cheering fans waiting to meet him at a recent Singapore fan meet organised by Razer at their Asia Pacific headquarters.

"He is an inspiration not just as a player, but as a human. I don’t think it matters if you play League of Legends, when you learn of his story, it gives you the courage to not give up as well," said Crystal Lai, an assistant community manager who attended the fan meet.

The event was held to celebrate Razer's decade-long partnership with Faker, who uses their gaming mouse – the Viper V3 Pro – in his competitive games. Close to 1,000 attendees packed the lobby of the building, with more camped outside, hoping for a glimpse of their esports idol through the glass walls, while others tuned in to livestreams on Facebook and YouTube to watch.

But who is Faker, and how did he become so successful?

FROM NEWBIE TO CHAMPION

The story of Faker begins in 2013 when, as a 17-year-old rookie, Faker was scouted to join South Korea's SK Telecom's sister esports team, T1 K, to play in the burgeoning League of Legends esports scene.

He had an explosive start in his first year, where he won his first League of Legends World Championship (Worlds) title at just 17. It was also at Worlds where he was given the nickname of the "Unkillable Demon King" by his opponents.

Despite the successes of his first year, Faker wasn't able to secure a repeat title. In fact, he and his team didn't even qualify for Worlds in his sophomore year. But Faker, together with SKT T1, were able to bounce back from their bad year and secure the repeat title at Worlds in 2015 and 2016.

However, the following six years would be a tough one for Faker. While they performed well domestically, SKT T1 were not able to find the same championship winning form at international events. It also didn't help that SKT T1 kept changing the rosters, though Faker remained a constant presence in the squad.

"During that period, there weren't as many victories as we wanted, and so I tried to read as many books as possible and tried to think about how we can improve, how I can do better," Faker told CNA Lifestyle through a translator.

He added that he had spent a lot of time thinking for quite a bit, which led him to create a value system for himself to get through the "tough period".

"I tried to focus on how I can enjoy the game more, and how I can feel happiness through playing the game more, as I found the correlation between my happiness and good performance. So from then, I tried to focus on having less pressure and enjoy the game itself."

THE PATH TO VICTORY

In 2021, the team rebranded to T1, with Faker also becoming part-owner of T1. However, his loyalties were tested in the same year, where he would get a US$20 million (S$26.7 million) offer to move to China's professional esports scene.

Despite the tempting figure, Faker decided to remain with his first team and rejected the offer, as according to T1's CEO, he was already financially secure. Faker had been investing his salary and prize money, and also owns Faker Tower, a building in Gangseo, Seoul. Furthermore, Faker's salary is rumoured to be at US$5 million annually or more, though no exact figure has been revealed.

The decision not to move to China also paid off two years later as T1 and Faker finally found success, once again claiming a Worlds title with his team with 6.4 million viewers worldwide watching via streaming. It would be almost a decade after his first Worlds title, but with that, he also became the first four-time World Champion, and he then followed that up with a 2024 Worlds Title with the same 2023 roster.

"I would say it's not something where T1 just got good in the past two years, it's a culmination of the team just going through a tumultuous change in 2019 with almost everyone sans Faker leaving and T1 going in with a much younger unproven roster," said Gene Hyun, a professional esports commentator.

"This is why Rome wasn't built in a day and teams need time and experience to play together, go through some of the lows to really understand how to be a top tier team."

AN IDOL FOR K-POP STARS

Faker's popularity isn't just with his esports fans. In South Korea, his fans include K-pop idols such as Super Junior's Heechul, who apparently dropped everything to come onto a variety show to meet Faker once he heard he was appearing on said show.

Then there's BTS, the world's biggest boy band, who have played League of Legends with him and have also sung together on one of their YouTube shows. Be warned though, he may be good at LoL, but he's honestly not a very good singer.

Last year, Faker also made an appearance in an Enhypen Tiktok dance challenge, where he showed off his moves that he had been practising for hours.

Besides his K-pop activities, the professional gamer also does plenty of commercials for products such as fried chicken, gets decked out in Polo Ralph Lauren and is an ambassador for UNICEF alongside Korean ice-skating queen Kim Yuna, actress Kim Hye-soo and Felix from Stray Kids.

But don't expect Faker to transition to a new K-pop career anytime soon.

"I've never thought about being a K-pop star. Honestly, gaming is the only thing I care about, so I don't have much interest in that," said Faker.

NO THOUGHTS OF RETIREMENT JUST YET

While still relatively young, Faker still has a few good years remaining in his career. Esport players in League of Legends tend to retire around their mid-twenties, and Faker is already past that mark, but still playing at a high level. That said, some LoL pros have managed to last till their 30s, and in other games, such as Street Fighter, pro players in their early 40s are still competing.

"I do not have a specific plan about retirement, I haven't thought about it yet, and I'm not too concerned about my reflexes, as what's most important for longevity as a pro-gamer is to keep my passion burning and also continue to put the effort into improving," said Faker.

But if you're planning to be a world champion like Faker, bear in mind that it's not an easy journey. There are countless talented esports professional players in the world, and only a few ever become champions. You'll need to put in lots of work, effort, and depending on the game, you need reliable teammates and the chemistry to succeed.

"An esports player needs passion, hardwork and a little bit of luck. You need the skills to grab the luck when it comes," said Daryl "Iceiceice" Koh, a retired professional esports player from Singapore.

"Also being born in Korea helps, I guess."