At the end of the LCK Spring 2022 group stage, T1 topped the leaderboard. Not only did they secure a spot directly in the playoffs semifinals, but they also set record after record. Notably, with an impressive record of 18 wins – 0 losses, Faker and his teammates achieved the best group stage performance in League of Legends history, surpassing even Invictus Gaming and Fnatic in the past.
Moreover, Faker is the oldest player in League of Legends history to achieve this feat, considering the four Major tournaments. Even more notably, he is not just a mere spiritual leader; in many matches, the timely brilliance of the “Demon King” has helped T1 overcome tough opponents. The fruits that Faker and T1 have achieved, alongside talent and luck, can also be seen as the sweet harvest that the “Demon King” is reaping.
From the most bitter moments in a glorious career
Looking back at the 2020 season and into mid-Summer 2021, Faker had never faced as much doubt in his career. Across various forums, many in the League of Legends community believed that Faker was on the downhill side of his career. They mentioned players like Chovy and ShowMaker as successors to the “Demon King” to become new legends in the League of Legends scene. After T1 went empty-handed in the 2020 season, missing out on a Worlds spot that year, many thought that the glorious career of Faker would end in the least desirable way.
The atmosphere within T1 was no better. During the 2020 season, Faker was often replaced by Coach Kim with Clozer in many matches. Perhaps, no one in the League of Legends scene could imagine the day Faker would be benched. Coach Kim even stated: “The atmosphere in the team improved after Clozer played”. In other words, the former IG coach (and perhaps many League of Legends fans) believed that Clozer was the future of T1 post-Faker.
After T1 ended the 2020 season empty-handed, Coach Kim lost his job, and the new coach, Daeny, was even harsher on Faker. He implemented a continuous rotation policy, with only Keria consistently starting. The frequent changes by Coach Daeny led T1 into a crisis. Moreover, this coach even hinted at criticizing Faker in the media.
To the fairness of the law of cause and effect
It can be said that at that time, many predictions were that T1 would miss out on a Worlds spot in 2021 and Faker would retire in regret. These actions were very normal, especially for a player who had devoted his entire career to T1 and achieved almost all the glory that a professional League of Legends player could dream of. Even if Faker had retired after T1’s empty 2020 season, he would still be an immortal legend in the League of Legends scene.
But Faker did not do that. He did not retire, nor did he publicly retaliate against Coach Daeny or Coach Kim. What Faker did was simply accept the decisions of the coaches and show his best whenever given the chance to play.
As a result, after T1’s management decided to fire the coaching duo of Daeny and Zefa midway through the season, Faker and T1 revived. Young and talented players like Oner and Gumayusi had more opportunities to play. T1 then reached the finals of the LCK Summer 2021 and the semifinals of Worlds 2021. This was the first sweet fruit that Faker received.
In the offseason, T1 CEO Joe Marsh personally flew to Faker’s home to persuade the legend. Not only did he take the opportunity to connect with Faker’s family, but CEO Joe Marsh also confirmed that they discussed T1’s direction and the changes that Faker proposed. T1 did not bring in any new coaches or players, instead utilizing internal resources: Coach Polt and top laner Zeus.
It was thought that T1 would face difficulties as every team in the LCK had strong reinforcements while this was Zeus’s first season as a starter. But now, it seems everyone can clearly see how right T1 and Faker were. And Zeus, rather than talented veterans like Rascal or Kiin, was the one voted into the LCK Spring 2022 All-Pro Team.
Faker himself, with the mental comfort and close younger teammates by his side, has truly returned as the “Demon King” everyone once knew. But this version is far more experienced and resilient than ever.
Ask yourself, if Faker did not have the talent and good qualities in both the past and present, would the younger players have enough respect to fight alongside him? If Faker had given up after being “squashed” by Coach Kim and Coach Daeny, there surely would not be a T1 Spring 2022 with the super record of 18-0 in the group stage just passed.
The skills have been showcased in matches, and luck has also helped T1 achieve good results. But it cannot be denied that it is through his relentless effort in the past that Faker is now reaping the sweet fruits of the present. And