Korean LoL Team Might Miss ENC Due to… Faker
Recently, South Korean media reported that KeSPA (Korean eSports Association) has received information regarding the ENC (Esports Nation Cup) organizers’ influence on the selection of teams participating in the tournament, considered the World Cup of eSports at the end of the year, featuring national teams from various countries. Moreover, according to the media from the land of Kimchi, the situation is quite serious and is related to an “untouchable” player, namely Faker.
According to information from the South Korean media, ENC has made certain demands to KeSPA for the “mandatory participation of one player.” However, this is seen as too deep an intervention into KeSPA’s expertise and, of course, has displeased this organization. Although KeSPA has not officially commented, they have left open the possibility of withdrawing the entire Korean national team from the upcoming tournament.
Many speculate that in the entire Korean esports scene, if one player must participate in every tournament similar to ENC, it can only be Faker. Not only is he the face of T1, LCK, and Korean esports, but he is also an icon, a legend of the global esports scene. Additionally, he has the largest fanbase among League of Legends players. Therefore, it’s understandable that ENC, a tournament debuting for the first time, wants Faker to be present.
However, clearly, when KeSPA selects the team, the primary goal must be to achieve the highest performance. Faker’s reputation and expertise are undisputed, but there is also the issue of performance. If Faker’s form is not up to par, it will be difficult for KeSPA to make a choice, and this is entirely reasonable. This is also the point causing the disagreement between KeSPA and the ENC organizers.
The Future for LoL and Korean Esports Could Be Even Worse
According to some newly updated information, ENC may have already terminated its cooperation with KeSPA. If this truly happens, not only LoL but possibly all Korean esports teams will miss the tournament occurring at the end of the year. And if this scenario becomes a reality, the most disadvantaged will still be the teams and players.
According to Seoul Sports