How to Stay at the Top

Q. The South Korea’s League of Legends team won its second consecutive gold at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. You came straight here after returning to Korea. How did it feel to win gold a second time?

Above all else, our primary goal at these Games was to win gold. We accomplished that, and everyone gave their best along the way so I feel really proud. When the gold medal was ours, seeing the fans, fellow players and everyone on the team celebrating together made me incredibly happy. The outcome feels even more meaningful because it was something that we all achieved together, rather than achieved by any one person alone.

Q. You have remained among the best in the same competitive arena for more than 13 years. What still brings you back to the game every day? Is it the same reason you had when you started?

My love of gaming is the same as it was then. But my reasons for playing have changed a lot. Before, I competed simply because I loved the game and loved winning. Now, the experience of sharing so many different things with fans and teammates feels deeply meaningful in itself. My outlook has changed a lot along the way, too. Compared with 13 years ago, esports has grown beyond recognition, and the world around me has changed enormously. I think I have gradually changed in tandem.

Q. In soccer, a player who spends a long time at one club is dubbed a “one-club man.” In esports, where teams come and go, staying with one team for 13 years is remarkably rare.

That’s right. League of Legends has only been a competitive esport for a little over 15 years, and countless teams have come and gone in that time. I know just how unusual it is to stay with one team for this long. I think T1, the team I play for, is a distinguished organization that invests generously in esports. Being part of a team like that is what has allowed me to keep playing in the same place for so long. And I’m truly grateful that the fans have followed that journey and come to support me even more.

Q. At some point, the name Faker came to stand for more than a competitor. You became a benchmark. What does it mean to you to be someone others measure themselves against?

It’s a tremendous honor to be seen that way, and I’m very grateful. Playing well and giving a good performance are important, but I think that reputation also allows me to engage more, have a greater influence and offer more inspiration to more people. So I try to do the best I can in that position. I feel a much greater sense of responsibility, too. At the same time, it gives me another opportunity to grow, which makes it all the more significant for me.

Finding His Bearings Whenever He Falters

Q. More than simply being good at what you do, you give the impression of being unshakable. Is there a principle you have been especially strict about following to build that steadiness?

Actually, I’m not actually unshakable. All sorts of things affect me more than you might think. Being emotionally calm is closer to a temperament I was born with and have had since childhood, but beyond that, I get unsettled just like anyone else. When you compete, there are times when you have to regain your mental focus or pull yourself out of a slump. Maintaining a high level of performance always comes with ups and downs, both large and small. That’s actually why I’ve spent so much of my professional career learning about the mind, looking into different things and thinking about how I could do better. Because I’m not unshakable, I think I’ve tried to stay open and keep learning.

Q. Is there anything you have been doing regularly lately to manage your state of mind?

This year, I felt I wasn’t in the best frame of mind. I didn’t feel very grounded. So lately, I’ve been writing in my journal a lot. My emotions often get the better of me, and when they do, I try to put those feelings into words or set myself new goals. Once I’ve put those unsettled feelings down on paper, it becomes much easier to find my bearings again.

Q. Yet from the outside, you seem to have a poker face that rarely betrays any unease.

Do I? (Laughs.) I do tend to stay calm during matches. There are certainly instances when I’m genuinely untroubled, too. But there are also plenty of times when I struggle with anxiety as well. The harder it gets, the more I look back on past experiences. I remember how I got through similar moments and try hard to hold on to my calm and composure. I think composure is something you have to secure again and again, rather than something you simply possess.

Q. Just before a match, when your concentration is at its peak, what comes into focus and what falls away? How do you prepare yourself mentally for a major stage such as the Asian Games?

Before a match, I do everything I can not to dwell on winning or losing. When I fixate on the outcome, I get nervous and end up in a state of mind where I can’t perform properly. So I leave myself with just one thought: “Go out and play, drawing on all the practice you’ve put in.” I don’t think about winning or losing but instead focus only on what I’ve prepared. I also meditate before matches. Once I’ve settled my mind asmuch as I can, I’m able to concentrate entirely on the game.

Q. Amid constant training and a repetitive daily routine, how do you relax and keep things new?

Our schedules are packed, and we spend a huge amount of time practicing. Still, I try to make good use of the breaks I get, doing whatever I feel like at the time. I’ve always read occasionally, but lately I’ve really been enjoying reading books. I also play board games, like chess. Even within a fixed daily routine, making those little pockets of time entirely my own seems to give me a sense of something new.

Because I’m not unshakable, I think I’ve tried to stay open and keep learning

From Winning to Leaving a Legacy

Q. After 13 years with one team, being part of a team must mean something special to you. What does leadership look like to you?

When I first turned pro, I didn’t think of the team as anything particularly special. I just saw it as an organization brought together to win. But after spending so long as a player and so much time with the same teammates, my opinion has changed. Now that I’m the “older brother” on the team, I often think about how I can help my teammates do better. A team is a group that comes together to win, but it’s also a community where we share our daily routines and help guide one another. I think it’s a wonderful community. Participating in the process of achieving victory feels just as meaningful as the victory itself.

Q. If there is one thing you absolutely want the younger players who follow in your footsteps to carry on, what would it be?

I hope younger players will go beyond simply playing their matches and beating their opponents. I’d like them to become players who engage positively with their fans through the way they compete and have a strong, positive influence on the world around them.

Q. Do Faker and Lee Sanghyeok ever feel like two different people to you?

I try to keep my sense of self whole rather than divide it in two. If I were a different person when I was gaming and when I wasn’t, I’d feel that my values were somehow inconsistent. I believe my reason for playing should be the same as my reason for living. Only when the goals I pursue in life align with what I do at work can I feel that I’m living authentically. Thus, I don’t think of the person I am when I play as a different individual. I play because bringing joy to the fans brings me joy. I try to live with that same outlook in my everyday life.

Q. You have won a second consecutive gold amid ongoing discussion about whether esports will remain an official medal sport at the Asian Games. You have also committed to staying with T1 through 2029. Having already reached the top, what do you see as your next step?

I got into this world because I loved gaming. And the reason I loved it was simple: I wanted to do something I liked and found fun. If esports continues to thrive and I get to remain part of it for a long time, of course I’ll continue studying and exploring the game. But ultimately, I want to pursue what I love and enjoy. More than winning or retaining a place at the top, I just want to keep doing work that I love. I think that’s how I’ll always choose to live

Q. Finally, as Lee Sanghyeok the person, is there anything you would like to say to Faker?

I’d like him to take good care of his health and get some decent sleep. When I’m busy doing this and that, I often don’t get enough rest. I hope he looks after himself, never loses sight of his goals and lives the life he wants. (Laughs.)