A few days ago, KeSPA officially announced the shortlist of 10 players who will compete in the final selection round for the Asiad 2022 team. This Asiad is of great importance as it marks the first time Esports, and League of Legends in particular, has the opportunity to compete for medals. With veteran players like Faker and Deft on the list, if chosen and winning a gold medal, these players will be exempt from mandatory military service and will only need to complete special military obligations. This is also an opportunity for these names to continue their professional careers.
However, with a renowned player like Faker, alongside Asiad 2022 or, more immediately, the upcoming MSI 2022, it is well known that Faker also has an extremely busy schedule outside of League of Legends. As the brand face of T1, as well as the entire LCK region and the global League of Legends scene, it’s no surprise that Faker is chosen by many prestigious brands. Recently, he appeared “super cool” in a BMW advertisement. Not to mention other advertising projects, interviews,… that the “Demon King” has to juggle while still live streaming according to the team’s schedule and meeting a dense training timetable.
There was a time when the LCK community in general, and T1 fans, especially Faker fans, were extremely upset about Faker’s hectic work schedule. He even became famous for his rather “unusual” routine: Faker would go to bed at 4 AM. Daily, he has to train for about 10 hours and only has 1 hour of rest (not counting meal times). Back in Spring 2021, there were numerous reports about Faker having a very busy schedule. Many T1 fans believe that this is the reason for Faker’s decline in performance due to a lack of time dedicated to League of Legends.
Recently, Faker had to voice his frustrations about his extremely unscientific work schedule. According to a chat message shared by the LCK community, allegedly from Faker himself, the “Demon King” expressed his irritation: “I cannot focus on the game. My schedule has issues, and I feel overwhelmed with this schedule (meeting fans, promoting movies, training for Asiad 2022, training for MSI 2022…) Why does a live stream have to be squeezed into other schedules?”
In addition, Faker also mentioned that he has voiced his concerns about his hectic schedule, but it has not been effective. After witnessing images of Faker looking fatigued, along with the “Demon King’s” outcry about his work schedule, the LCK community in general, and T1 fans in particular, became very outraged, especially towards T1 management. Many believe this team is starting to exploit Faker’s brand again without restraint, reminiscent of Spring 2021 just last year.
Immediately after the LCK community erupted over Faker’s situation, T1 management announced the cancellation of all live streaming schedules for T1 players. However, beneath this announcement, the fan community still expressed significant frustration. While Faker’s expertise certainly remains in League of Legends, this very expertise is being impacted by that harsh schedule. Asiad 2022 is approaching, and MSI 2022 has also been scheduled. If side issues affect performance, undoubtedly the one who suffers the most will be none other than Faker.
