In highly competitive games, the demand for a server or a system with high-quality players for top players to practice and improve their skills is obvious. Just as CS:GO has the Faceit, ESEA, FPL systems, and DOTA2 has in-house tournaments among pro players, League of Legends also has the Korean server with a similar concept.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that the Korean Challenger is the best place to scout talent for professional teams. Just a few hours ago, a user on Reddit compiled a list of players who made it to the top 10 Korean Challenger from season 2 to the present, and we couldn’t help but be surprised at how many players have either played or are currently playing for T1, formerly known as SKT T1, on this list. It’s no wonder T1 is never short of talent as they recruit the best players for development.
“The Demon King” Faker is probably the first and biggest success story of SKT T1’s talent scouting from the Korean Challenger. Back in season 2, the young Lee Sang-hyeok, who was only 16 at the time, reached the top 3 of the Korean Challenger and caught the attention of SKT T1’s recruitment team. As the saying goes, “the rest is history,” Faker joined SKT T1 and transformed this team into greatness with numerous prestigious titles.
Among those who have made it to the top 10 Korean Challenger two times or more, we can recognize many members who have either played or are currently with T1, with prominent names such as Cuzz, Faker, Bang, Effort, and “subs” like Easyhoon, Ucal, and Untara. Of course, not every name from solo queue that joined SKT T1 becomes exceptional like Faker, but the success of this organization demonstrates that their method of scouting and developing talent is worth learning from by other organizations.
