faker Turns 30: A Look Back at the Career of League of Legends' Greatest Player
faker Turns 30: A Look Back at the Career of League of Legends' Greatest Player
faker " faker ," the mid laner of T1 and the most decorated player in League of Legends history, celebrates his 30th birthday on May 7. Over a professional career spanning more than a decade with a single organisation, he has accumulated 10 LCK titles, two MSI trophies, and six World Championship titles, cementing his place not just as the face of League of Legends but as one of the most iconic figures in the history of competitive gaming.
From Seoul to the Professional Stage
faker was born on May 7, 1996, in the Gangseo District of Seoul , South Korea , where he was raised by his father and grandparents. As a child he was described as quiet and self-sufficient, with a fondness for Rubik's Cubes, self-directed learning, and video games. Before League of Legends, his gaming diet included Tekken, King of Fighters, MapleStory, and Warcraft III.
Everything changed after League of Legends launched in South Korea in 2011. faker climbed to the very top of the solo queue ladder with remarkable speed, and by 2013 SK Telecom T1 had seen enough — signing him at just 17 years old. He had previously competed under the nickname GoJeonPa, but it was as faker that he stepped onto the professional stage and never looked back.
A Debut Season for the Ages
faker made his professional debut on April 6, 2013, in Seoul , and the esports world took notice almost immediately. In his first televised match he secured a solo kill against Chan-yong "Ambition" Kang — at the time one of the most respected mid laners in the country — and his rookie season quickly took on a life of its own.
The defining moment came in the 2013 OGN Champions Summer final against KT Rolster Bullets, where faker won a legendary one-on-one duel against Sang-wook "Ryu" Yoo that went on to become one of the most replayed clips in League of Legends history. SK Telecom T1 claimed the domestic title and went on to win the Season 3 World Championship, giving faker a world title in the same year he turned professional — a feat that set the tone for everything that followed.
The Unkillable Demon King
The period between 2014 and 2017 belonged to faker and SK Telecom T1 in a way few dynasties ever dominate their sport. He added World Championship titles in 2015 and 2016 to his growing collection, along with MSI trophies in 2016 and 2017 and multiple LCK crowns throughout the run. SKT became the first team to win Worlds more than once and later the first to defend the title in back-to-back years.
His champion pool, mechanical ceiling, and ability to deliver in the moments that mattered most made him the undisputed centre of that era. Nicknames like "The Unkillable Demon King" and "God" followed naturally, as did comparisons to Michael Jordan. By the end of 2016, faker had already claimed three World Championships and was widely acknowledged as the most influential player the game had ever produced.
Difficult Years and a Fourth World Title
The loss to Samsung Galaxy in the 2017 World Championship final marked the beginning of a more turbulent chapter. SKT missed Worlds entirely in 2018 and went through several roster overhauls in the years that followed, unable to recapture the same level of international dominance. faker , however, continued to rack up domestic titles and break records in the LCK throughout.
In 2020, following SK Telecom T1 's rebrand to T1 , he signed a new contract that also made him a part-owner and executive within the organisation. Built around a younger core, T1 returned to the World Championship final in 2022 but fell to DRX . The following year was one of the most emotional of faker 's career — recovering from an arm injury sustained mid-season, he led T1 all the way to a fourth World Championship title in 2023, adding another remarkable chapter to an already extraordinary story.
Records, Recognition, and a Legacy Unmatched
The list of records faker holds in the LCK reads like a one-man history of the league. He was the first player to reach 1,000, 2,000, and 3,000 kills in the competition, the first to record 5,000 assists, and the first to win 700 LCK games. At the World Championship, his records for kills, assists, and match wins tell a similar story.
Beyond the server, faker has become one of the most recognisable figures in global esports, appearing in commercials, talk shows, and documentaries while partnering with major brands across the world. In 2024, Riot Games honoured his legacy by naming him the inaugural inductee into the League of Legends Hall of Legends — a fitting tribute to a player who has spent over a decade redefining what is possible in competitive gaming.
faker has represented T1 for his entire professional career. He turns 30 today, and the conversation about the greatest of all time in League of Legends begins and ends with his name.
