The final of the LCK Spring 2023 once again witnessed Faker’s defeat as he was close to reaching the “heavenly door.” For those who may not know, this is Faker’s fourth consecutive loss and T1 in finals. What’s more, in all four instances, they were rated higher than their opponents, whether it was the familiar “loser” DRX or the mighty “Royal Never Give Up” from the LPL.
However, with the recent final, Faker has set another “new record” that perhaps even he does not truly welcome. Accordingly, Faker becomes the first player in League of Legends history to finish as a runner-up in every tournament category that a player can participate in. For those who may not understand, Faker has finished second at least once in OGN Masters, LCK tournaments, MSI, World Championship (Worlds), and even at the Asian Games. The rare tournaments where Faker has not finished second are the All-Star and MSC. However, fundamentally, All-Star is just an exhibition tournament and does not determine rankings.
It can be said, from a positive perspective, that only a truly strong team can finish as runners-up four times in a row like T1. This is entirely true because clearly, a team must surpass many opponents to reach the finals of any tournament. Not to mention, there are many strong teams that have been defeated by T1, such as KT Rolster, G2 Esports, or even JD Gaming. As one viewer noted: “The runner-up position has never been Faker’s desire, and can even be seen as a failure in his career, but it is something that many other legendary figures must wish for.”
In history, many famous players have failed in the finals. Even superstars like Khan or Uzi have been referred to as “kings of the runner-up” or “those who stumble at the gates of heaven.” However, surely both of these players cannot compare to Faker.
Of course, as mentioned, Faker’s goal has always been to win the championship in every tournament he participates in. Therefore, the runner-up position holds no significance for the great captain of T1. But if he wants to reach glory once again, he and his teammates will have to work much harder in the finals they will participate in the future.