The 2021 season may have been one of the most tumultuous in the career of “The Demon King” Faker. His abilities have never been questioned as much since he began his professional career. And perhaps, it was only in the 2021 season, especially during the Summer split, that fans saw Faker sitting on the bench more than ever, with the coach hinting that he was the reason the entire team failed. Not to mention, Faker and the entire League of Legends community witnessed a coach leave midway through the tournament for the first time.
Overcoming all difficulties, Faker and T1 made it to the finals of the LCK Summer 2021. After that, the “Demon King” along with his young teammates reached the semifinals of the World Championship 2021, narrowly losing to DWG KIA in what was considered one of the most thrilling matches of the recent World Championship. The 2021 season may not have been successful in terms of titles, but what Faker achieved deserves recognition.
In the end-of-season transfer period, Faker was again mentioned when the South Korean media reported that T1 signed him to a “record-breaking” contract. The amount Faker could receive in a year could reach around 136 billion VND – a figure that is very high even in traditional sports.
Recently, Faker was once again recognized as journalists from the tech site TechM awarded him the title of “Character of the Year.” Faker is also the only Esports player to be included in this list, alongside other notable figures like the actor who played Number 1 in Squid Games and the vice president of Samsung…
The article about Faker states: “If you ask who has global influence, then immediately, everyone will think of one name. Even if they may not care about Esports, everyone knows this name – Faker. This is an important year for Faker and domestic sports fans because his contract expired. As every year, rumors about Faker leaving, the ‘blank checks’ from major teams… and there were also rumors that Faker would not stay with T1 spread rapidly, causing domestic fans to worry. But in the end, Faker stayed. He led the whole team at the World Championship 2021 and then re-signed with T1. Fans can now feel relieved. Faker is the only player who can make the whole world cry and laugh with him. And 2022 will be even more anticipated for Faker.”
There is no doubt that Faker is on the downside of his career. However, the past season witnessed his perfect adaptation to a new role. And surely, fans of Faker, T1, or LCK in particular, and League of Legends fans worldwide in general, are looking forward to the “Demon King” completing his dream of winning the World Championship trophy for the fourth time before retiring.