Faker is an idol for almost everyone in the League of Legends community, both in Vietnam and worldwide. Not to mention, his fame and influence extend beyond the realm of League of Legends or esports, reaching into other entertainment areas like mainstream sports and art. In 2023, Faker, along with T1, won the World Championship. This title fulfilled Faker’s long-held dream since 2017 and also elevated his influence even further, especially as he performed exceptionally in the tournament held in his home country.
Due to his immense popularity, Faker’s brand is also highly valuable. However, in the land of a billion people, a male streamer is drawing attention for a controversial act of “exploiting Faker’s image” in recent days. Specifically, this male streamer has a face strikingly similar to “The Demon King,” albeit with sharper features and a more cold, “intense” expression compared to Faker’s friendly and approachable demeanor. Notably, this streamer often creates content at the gym and showcases his muscles, earning him the titles “Gym Version of Faker” or “Six-Pack Faker.”
Notably, the streamer’s cosplay of Faker has attracted a massive amount of interaction, likes, and has allowed him to earn hundreds of millions in a single night (approximately 60,000 CNY or more, according to Newsqq). In short, the male streamer is exploiting Faker’s image to make money, and this action has not received consent from T1’s mid-lane superstar.
Of course, the content from the male streamer has sparked controversy. While some netizens express their admiration, many others believe he is infringing on the copyright of Faker and profiting unlawfully from the image of “The Demon King.” In fact, some have suggested that T1 should sue the male streamer. In the past, there have been cosplayers who loved to impersonate Faker and were also criticized by League of Legends fans, especially T1 supporters, for exploiting Faker to gain attention.
Nevertheless, records on this person’s Douyin show that content related to Faker is still being produced and does not seem to be stopping anytime soon. Meanwhile, the incident continues to spark debates across various League of Legends forums, especially in the China-Korea regions.