For professional League of Legends players, the results of their matches are the most important. Of course, at this moment, the competition is fiercer than ever with many young players emerging, not to mention that teams are also trending towards “youthful” lineups. Additionally, team budgets are not always abundant, which forces players to train even harder. In harsh environments like the LCK, players are demanded even more, both in terms of expertise and professionalism.
For seasoned players like Faker and Deft, injuries are difficult to avoid. Doinb once raised concerns among fans when he practiced and played until 4 or 5 AM, and recently, Faker, after an extended period of continuous competition, suffered a serious hand injury that forced him to take a break from professional League of Legends for nearly a month. This was a challenging time for T1, leading to doubts about whether the team could even make it past the group stage. Faker returned afterward, but no one can be sure that his injury won’t reoccur in the future.
However, recently, according to information from LCK fans, Deft is also suffering from a series of serious injuries due to his profession. Specifically, the KT Rolster AD Carry is battling stomach issues and cervical disc herniation. In fact, according to his treating physician, Deft’s condition is worse than that of anyone else being treated for similar conditions at this hospital. Additionally, the doctor noted that Deft is still able to cope because he is young, but it will lead to extremely painful long-term consequences. For those who may not know, one of the most severe complications of disc herniation is paralysis and disability.
Deft’s long career is beyond debate. Yet after many years, even now, he continues to fight in the LCK without taking a break. Many League of Legends fans have expressed their concerns for Deft. Additionally, many have mentioned Faker, as he is the most famous recent injury case in the League of Legends community. Both players are of the same age and are alumni of Mapo High School. Deft himself has a significant connection to Faker, as all the titles he has won were after defeating SKT T1/T1.
Professional League of Legends players, in particular, and Esports players, in general, also bear the heavy consequences of continuous training and competition, along with an irregular lifestyle. Therefore, this job often has a relatively short career span and sometimes comes at the cost of lifelong health, with cases like Faker, Deft, or Uzi being prime examples.