Faker Re-Signs with T1 until 2029

27 Jul

Ganesh Jadhav

League of Legends’ Unkillable Demon King and T1's crown jewel, Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, has decided to stay with the team until 2029.

Earlier today, Faker also achieved the 3,500 LCK kills milestone, becoming the first player to accomplish the feat to further solidify his legacy as the league's GOAT.

T1 Faker or Faker's T1?

Faker's professional LoL journey started when SK Telecom T1 recruited him for their second team in 2013. The Mid-Lane rookie rewrote history along with his teammates as they became the first Korean team to lift the Summoner's Cup.

In his rookie year, Faker not only won the biggest trophy professional League of Legends has to offer, but also earned himself the moniker of “Unkillable Demon King.”

This first year was just a precursor to what would turn out to be an unparalleled career. Since his first Worlds trophy in 2013, Faker has gone on to win four more, in addition to two MSI trophies and numerous LCK titles.

The latest trophy in his cabinet was the Worlds 2024 trophy, won by defeating Gen.G in the Semifinals and BLG in the Grand finals. He was also named the Finals MVP for the match that earned him his fifth Worlds trophy.

T1 (then Sk Telecom T1) may have been the team that gave Faker a chance all those years ago, but in return the star players has given them 7 international trophies (5 Worlds) and a fan-following bigger than that of any other esports organization.

For all the mismanagement and mess that the org may find itself in, as long as Faker exists, T1 will dominate viewership numbers, make a profit, and stay on-top of the League of Legends scene.

So, even if the tag says T1 Faker, it is, and always will be, Faker's T1.

Another Four Years of Faker

The announcement of Faker re-signing hints at the his intention to compete for another four-years. Now in the 12th year of his career, this also means that Faker is very likely to retire under the T1 banner.

The biggest question now, though, is: can Faker compete at the top for four more years?

While it may be hard to answer the question, Faker and co. ended Gen.G’s 27-match win streak not too long ago. The team also reached the MSI 2025 finals, only narrowly losing the title.

Meaning, while Faker might not be the best player in the world anymore, the 2024 Worlds Finals MVP has shown he's certainly still got what it takes to deliver on the biggest of stages.

Not to mention that, earlier today, Faker became the first player in LCK history to reach 3,500 kills, adding yet another milestone to a long list of accolades..

From the perspective of T1's management, even if Faker fails to perform (which is unlikely, especially at Worlds), his sheer influence over League of Legends is enough to warrant not just a re-signing, but a lifetime contract.

For fans, we get to see four more years of the GOAT playing League of Legends on the biggest stages, and maybe win another Worlds trophy as the LCK third seed, since he has already done it from first, second and fourth.

And as long as Faker exists, T1 will remain the past, present and the future of League of Legends.

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Featured Image Credit: T1

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