One of the biggest issues for professional players is the decline in health after months of intense practice, both during competitions and in training. As mentioned, many players face significant psychological challenges. Moreover, the physical toll is becoming increasingly evident. For instance, Faker during the LCK Summer 2023 is an example where, for the first time, Faker had to take a break not due to performance or coaching decisions, but because of injury. Notably, as of now, no one can be sure that Faker has completely overcome his pain.
Recently, another T1 player has caused significant concern among fans. Specifically, Keria is the latest name to share that his physical condition is not well. Accordingly, the T1 Support stated: “I always feel a lot of pain whenever I play the game. Now exercising is a must, not a choice anymore. I can’t tell the audience every time I feel unwell, but I’ve had to go to the emergency room this year. Although I don’t say it out loud, I don’t know how to describe it. It’s like more than any pain, I feel like I could just collapse.”
“The time I went to the emergency room, they couldn’t diagnose anything. At that time, there was only one day left before the Summer Split was about to start. Since then, I almost… couldn’t stay awake.”
Clearly, not only Faker but also Keria is suffering from a serious injury. This could explain why Keria did not perform at his best during the Summer Split. However, according to what the T1 Support shared, this issue might have arisen earlier but had not yet escalated to a level that caused significant problems for Keria. Alternatively, this player might have been suppressing persistent pain during the MSI 2023 or ASIAD.
With the current situation, no one can predict the performance capabilities of T1 players in the new season. Not to mention, after returning from Worlds 2023, T1 will have to continuously participate in event appearances. Faker has shown that he still has some lingering injuries, and Keria might be in a similar situation. If these players face issues, T1 will definitely encounter many difficulties ahead.