The absence of Faker has brought numerous disadvantages to T1 at this point. Although they still have a chance to participate in the LCK Summer 2023 playoffs, the team has revealed countless weaknesses in the absence of their captain. Previously, many opinions considered Faker to be a burden to T1 due to his age and his tendency to support his teammates from the back. And when Faker got injured, the value he brought to T1, even at his advanced age, has become glaringly apparent.
However, it is clear that not only T1 is facing poor results. Even LCK has begun to feel the difficulties caused by Faker’s absence. This had been warned long ago, right after Faker was sidelined due to injury. Specifically, more than a month ago, it was reported that even with Faker absent, T1’s matches still attracted significantly more viewers than other matches in the LCK. This was during week 5, and the highest match of that week was T1’s first game after Faker’s absence – the clash between this team and DRX. In fact, the number of views was even higher than the “El Clasico” T1 – Gen.G just four days later.
Recently, LCK has been alerted once again. Specifically, even though T1 is experiencing a significant downturn without Faker, this team is still dominating the viewership of the LCK, particularly in week 7. This week was notably emphasized due to the match between Gen.G and KT Rolster – a battle for the top spot in the standings. Logically, a match between two powerful teams should attract more attention. However, this clash only reached nearly 310k views, which is 100k views less than the highest match: the encounter between T1 and OK BRION. The Gen.G – KT match even fell short of the T1 – Hanwha Life Esports match, despite both matches concluding in two games.
LCK has begun to see the damages of Faker’s absence. Previously, the Chinese media also hoped that Faker would recover in time to participate in the ASIAD. For these reasons, it can be said that soon there will be a search for someone to replace Faker in terms of expertise if he retires. However, regarding the influence and contribution to LCK and the League of Legends scene, at least in the near future, no one will be able to inherit Faker’s position.