At the LCK Awards 2023, T1 swept all the prestigious titles with their championship win at Worlds 2023 and the perfect performance of their players against LPL representatives. It can be said that 2023 will be a very special year for T1 as they have gone through enough ups and downs to reach a satisfying conclusion like a thrilling and captivating movie. Meanwhile, the king of the LCK – Gen.G only managed to secure individual awards, and even Chovy left empty-handed.
In some ways, this is understandable as Gen.G has not performed well in international tournaments throughout the year. Not to mention, Chovy has also not shown his best form and skills on the international stage, especially against weaker opponents like Faker or Yagao. In fact, during their rematch against Bilibili Gaming, Gen.G struggled even more at MSI, and Chovy was less prominent than in that year’s international tournament.
However, it is evident that Chovy’s empty-handed result despite a successful domestic year has made many Gen.G fans “boil over,” especially when T1 emerged victorious in all aspects. The “verbal war” surrounding this event has escalated, dragging in the players as well. Accordingly, many extreme T1 fans mocked Chovy with the nickname “88848.” For those who are unaware, 88848 corresponds to Chovy’s record at Worlds. Notably, reaching the Semifinals in 2022 was the best achievement for the Gen.G mid-laner.
Meanwhile, T1 or more specifically Faker has been given the nickname “1557.” Many viewers, especially hardcore SKT T1/T1 fans, will recognize this, but new fans may not know the details. This number refers to the time (15 minutes and 57 seconds) during the match between Invictus Gaming and SKT T1 at Worlds 2018. At that time, IG annihilated SKT T1 in just 15 minutes and 57 seconds, creating one of the fastest matches in Worlds history. However, this nickname might be seen as a nod to Faker – the Player of the Year 2023. The reason being, in the current T1 lineup, Faker is the only remaining witness of that humiliating loss.
Currently, the debate is still ongoing. The League of Legends community has also gotten wrapped up in the story, and on social media platforms, searching for keywords related to these two numbers will immediately yield results of the “verbal battles” between fans of the two biggest teams in the LCK today.