Five-time League of Legends World Champion faker , faker , talked about his experiences as a national team player during the discussion and shared his self-management methods for maintaining competitive form as a professional esports player over the long term. He also expressed his desire to represent his country again if given the opportunity.
On November 2, during the finals of the 2024 League of Legends World Championship held in London, faker 's team defeated Bilibili Gaming from the Chinese LPL region with a score of 3-2, earning him his fifth world championship title in his career. Following this, faker attended the "2024 KeSPA Global Esports Forum" held in Seoul . Regarding his attendance, faker stated: “I am still trying to adjust to the time difference, which has made me a bit worried today. However, while I am recovering and adjusting, I have participated in many activities, which is why I came to this forum.” As for the reason for his attendance, he admitted: “I feel this is an occasion I should participate in. If there is such an important event, I always hope to be involved, so I came.” However, faker also mentioned that he did not expect the event to be held in front of such a large audience, but added: “However, I think this is a meaningful event and should be a great experience.”
Before the discussion officially began, faker reflected on his experience attending the private International Olympic Committee ( iOC ) forum in May this year. He mentioned: “Esports, being a relatively new field, still lacks sufficient research. But I believe that in such occasions, I might be able to play a helpful role. Moreover, since there are other sports athletes present, I also want to take this opportunity to listen and learn more.” He added: “That was an interesting experience. Having conversations with player Kim Yeon-koung and other athletes who have participated in the Asian Games was itself very interesting.”
When discussing his experiences with the national team, faker stated: “In the early stages of my career, I was just a student who loved games, so being able to compete as a national team player felt very special.” He also added: “Being able to participate in national team competitions twice feels completely different from club competitions, and I am very grateful for that. I believe this is significant for the esports industry as a whole and has profound meaning for me personally.” Additionally, he mentioned: “If I can elevate the status of esports, I am willing to compete again. However, I also understand that the public wants to see the national team achieve victory.” Therefore, faker stated that he will do his best to maintain his competitive form, and if his skills meet the national team's requirements, he is willing to serve the national team again.
When asked how he prepared for the two Asian Games and multiple World Championship finals, faker stated: “Nervousness can lead to worse performance, and this applies not only to competitions but to other things as well. So, I have always been thinking about how to reduce my psychological burden, and I have even read some books for this purpose.” He further explained: “Rather than focusing solely on achieving good results in the finals, it is more important to be grateful for the opportunity to stand on such a stage and to give my best performance on that stage. Therefore, I strive to prepare for every opportunity.”
When discussing how to face major competitions, he stated: “Even with thorough preparation, sometimes the results of the competition may not meet expectations. Conversely, sometimes good luck can lead to satisfactory results.” He added: “Therefore, I have learned not to get caught up in these results but to try to maintain a calm mindset on the day of the competition, accepting and understanding everything that happens in the match.” This mindset is also closely related to his recent habit of meditating before matches.
Regarding why he has been able to maintain outstanding performance and prolong his career over a long period, faker believes there are many factors. He stated: “The most important thing is passion. If I didn’t enjoy the game and found it troublesome, I wouldn’t work so hard.” He explained that his love for the game is his greatest motivation, and this passion is expressed in the form of enthusiasm. Subsequently, faker talked about his commendable reading habits: “When I was young, I hardly read books, and even when I had to write reflections on readings for holiday assignments, I rarely read. However, after becoming a professional player, I started reading more books.” He further explained: “I often think about how to perform better in games, which led me to explore psychology books, and I have gained a lot from them.” He believes that these efforts stem from his passion, and this is a part he values greatly.
Recently, he read a book titled "How We Decide" and said: “The content of this book can be applied to games, involving human intuition and rationality, and I learned a lot from it.” He believes that instant judgment in games is very important, and this judgment does not entirely belong to the realm of rationality, so he enhances his intuition through reading. To achieve this goal, he sets aside 30 minutes to 1 hour every day for reading. He also mentioned: “When there is a competition schedule, there is usually some waiting time, and I use that time to read. But recently, I've been too busy to read.” faker emphasized: “Having passion is important, and it is also necessary to find the motivation to ignite that passion from within.” He admitted that as a professional player for so long, he cannot easily provide advice to juniors on how to maintain passion. He added: “Even with passion, health and physical fitness are key to sustaining a career, so maintaining physical health is equally important.” When discussing the maintenance of physical health, he stated: “In the past, I exercised frequently, but after injuring my wrist, I couldn’t do intense workouts. Now, I focus more on my physical condition by reading books about health, and the team has a therapist to help me with active recovery and management.” Regarding the question of setting new goals after having won five world championships, faker said: “I am not a particularly organized person in life, so I hope to manage myself more systematically. I have heard other athletes share their lifestyles and feel that their self-management is very systematic. But I think the management of esports players relies more on the individual. So, I will work hard to improve my habits and self-management.” Finally, as an iconic figure in esports, faker spoke about how to further promote the development of esports: “The most important thing is attention. If everyone has a passion for esports, then everything will be better. I also started from a love for games and have grown to where I am today. In the future, I will continue to work hard in my position.” This concluded the discussion.
