Since Faker’s injury, T1 has clearly been on a downward slope. You don’t have to be an anti-fan or a neutral fan; even T1 supporters must admit: their team is no longer a threat to anyone in LCK Summer 2023. They may win against the struggling Nongshim RedForce, but they have lost to teams that might even be more inconsistent than NS, like OK BRION and DRX. Even Zeus admits: T1 missing Faker has caused all the lingering issues to resurface.
However, T1 players and fans may not need to worry too much anymore. Recently, Faker has been playing more frequently, especially in solo queue. For professional players, solo queue is the best environment to hone skills and test changes from updates or new champions. Of course, in such a challenging environment, players tend to take it more seriously compared to ARAM or normal matches.
The only thing is, many gamers have noticed that Faker has been… “beaten up” a bit too much in these matches. Of course, this isn’t too important since fans know that players never try too hard in ranked matches. However, Faker’s losses outnumbering his wins does make some pessimistic fans feel worried. The question arises: Does Faker have enough time to familiarize himself and regain his form to help T1 through this difficult period?
However, some calmer viewers believe that Faker has long since stopped trying hard in solo queue. For him, these modes are nothing more than entertainment and pure “practice.” Therefore, it’s normal for Faker to lose a lot and get taken down frequently in matches. Moreover, Faker surely still studies every detail of the new version closely, so he can be confident in syncing back up with his teammates and the situation in the LCK.
No one can say for sure when Faker will return. But one thing is for certain, Faker himself is very eager to return to the exciting matches of the professional LoL arena. And Faker’s return will undoubtedly be the necessary boost for T1 to reclaim their position as a championship contender in every tournament they participate in.