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Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Originally from Gangseo District, Seoul, Faker established an early reputation as a dominant solo queue player before being signed by SKT in 2013 at age 17. In his debut year, he won an LCK title and the Season 3 World Championship. From 2014 to 2017, he won five more LCK titles, two MSI titles (2016 and 2017), and two additional World Championships (2015 and 2016), becoming the first team to win the championship more than once and to win back-to-back titles. During this time, he also won All-Star Paris 2014 and the IEM World Championship in 2016. Between 2018 and 2022, Faker won four more LCK titles but struggled internationally. He went on to win the 2023, 2024, and 2025 World Championships, helping T1 achieve the first ever three-peat with a core team of mostly younger players. He also represented South Korea at the 2018 Asian Games (silver medal) and the 2022 Asian Games (gold medal).

In Their Own Story

Faker made his professional debut on April 6, 2013, securing a solo kill against the South Korean All-Star mid laner Kang 'Ambition' Chan-yong. In his first professional tournament, OGN Champions Korea 2013 Spring, he accounted for 31.6% of his team's kills and secured 133 kills over 20 games. During the OGN Champions Korea 2013 Summer finals, Faker was suddenly engaged by Yoo 'Ryu' Sang-wook but executed a perfectly timed sequence of moves to reverse the situation and kill Ryu. This play is regarded as one of the most famous League of Legends plays of all time and propelled SKT T1 2 to a reverse sweep victory. In Fall 2013, SKT T1 2 represented South Korea at the Season 3 World Championship, finishing with a 15-3 record and defeating China's Royal Club in the finals. In 2015, Faker shared the mid lane position with teammate Lee 'Easyhoon' Ji-hoon. At the 2015 Mid-Season Invitational, Faker was subbed in for game four after SKT fell behind 1-2. He selected LeBlanc, a champion with which he had never lost in competitive play, but Edward Gaming countered with Morgana, and SKT lost the final game.

Reader's Guide

Faker plays the mid-laner role for T1. His career highlights include winning 10 LCK titles, two MSI titles (2016 and 2017), and six World Championship titles. He holds several LCK records: first player to reach 1,000, 2,000, and 3,000 kills; first to earn 5,000 assists; first to win 700 games; and first to play 1,000 LCK games (achieved in 2025 with a 667-333 record). He also holds the record for most kills and assists in World Championship matches and was the first player to surpass 100 World Championship wins. His individual accolades include two World Championship MVP awards, an MSI MVP award, two LCK season MVP awards, an LCK Finals MVP award, two LCK Player of the Year awards, two LCK Mid Laner of the Year awards, and two LCK First All-Pro Team designations. In May 2024, Riot Games announced him as the inaugural inductee for the LoL Esports Hall of Legends.

Did You Know?

• Faker is a 39th generation descendant of the Gyeongju Lee clan and is a distant uncle of former T1 teammate Lee 'Gumayusi' Min-hyeong.
• He consumed a raw stalk of broccoli on stage after winning the 2015 World Championship.
• Faker was offered nearly US$1,000,000 from Chinese companies during the 2015 offseason but re-signed with SK Telecom.
• He was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Entertainment & Sports list in 2019 and the Time 100 Most Influential People in Sports list in 2026.
• In 2020, Faker became a part-owner and executive of T1 Entertainment & Sports.