League of Legends (LoL) esports legend Faker, Lee Sang-hyeok, said he intends to spend the rest of his pro career with T1.
At the "T1 Lee Sang-hyeok Faker player press conference" held at Gran Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 18th, Faker stated accordingly. Earlier, Faker signed a four-year extension with T1, keeping him with his current team into his mid-30s. Regarding this, Faker said, "Since the contract period is four years, I have lived as a one-club player with T1, and I think I will, in effect, spend my entire pro career with T1."
As for why he has stayed with T1 throughout his playing career, Faker said, "Beyond financial compensation, T1 has taken care of many important things for me," and added, "I don't know because I haven't been to other teams, but they treat me well and show a reputation befitting the best team, and I'm grateful for that."
Since debuting in 2013, Faker has reached career highs as a pro gamer, including six League of Legends World Championship titles, but he cited passion as the driving force that keeps him challenging himself. He emphasized, "As I continue my pro gaming career, I think there is still more to learn and ways to grow," and "I've just had passion since I was young. 'Just' seems like the right word. Having passion is a blessing, and even now I still want to win and still want to play the game well."
Although in his late 20s—considered the veteran stage among LoL pros—Faker expressed his determination to continue playing as long as he can perform. Faker said, "If I can keep going for a long time while showing my form, I want to," and added, "I don't know what it will be like in my 40s, but I feel proud because I think I can also show that my form can be maintained to some extent."
He named Chovy as the rival he has felt over his 13-year playing career. Faker praised him, saying, "Chovy's performance is good," and "Because Chovy has shown a lot of good play, watching him has become a driving force for my growth."
Faker has drawn attention not only for his in-game skill but also as an icon of positive influence through activities such as reading campaigns and donations. Regarding negative views of gaming, Faker said, "Compared with the past, I think it has improved a lot," and noted, "Playing games for too long can be harmful, but there are positive aspects, so it's something we need to talk through and find balance on."
He added, "Becoming an icon may owe something to my conduct, but it's largely because of fans' interest," and noted, "I have a cautious personality, so it hasn't been difficult to be in the spotlight as an icon, and I consider that a blessing as well."
Having recently run a reading campaign, Faker again stressed the benefits of reading that day. Faker explained, "Reading helps me organize my thoughts," and "There are Shorts (short YouTube videos), YouTube, and OTT (video streaming), but I think there is a calm you can get only from books."
That day, Faker also shared his ambitions going forward, including competing at the 2026 Asian Games. Faker said, "Competing at the Asian Games is meaningful for players," and added, "I can certainly show enough, and I want to compete."
He also expressed anticipation for a matchup with Grok, the artificial intelligence (AI) model proposed by Elon Musk. He said, "It's positive that AI or big tech corporations are taking an interest in the gaming industry," and forecast, "Chess was conquered by AI a long time ago, and I think we will win in next year's matchup."
Known for meticulous self-management, Faker conveyed, above all, his desire to prove himself. Faker said, "When I hit a plateau, I analyze why I plateaued, and if I need rest, I think about how to rest," and added, "I will do my best to improve in every aspect over the remaining period."