Korean team wins e-sports championship
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Korean professional gamer Lee Sang-hyeok, center, lifts the trophy with his teammates after winning the final round of the League of Legends international competition 2016 Mid-Season Invitational at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center in China, Sunday. / Courtesy of Riot Games Korea
By Yoon Sung-won
SK Telecom’s professional gaming team T1 clinched victory at the international e-sports competition of computer online game “League of Legends (LoL)” in Shanghai, after defeating North American gaming team Counter Logic Gaming (CLG) 3-0 in the final match, Sunday.
T1, which has already won two official LoL world championships, has shown its supremacy in the game by pulling off a grand slam with the third victory in Shanghai.
After the final of the LoL Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2016 match at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center, Lee Sang-hyeok, one of the world’s most renowned professional LoL gamers better known by his game playing nickname “Faker,” was named most valuable player (MVP) for the competition.
“We have reached the top perch through the efforts of everyone in the team,” Lee said in an interview after the match. “I think I could be named MVP because I have worked hard in practicing solo rank games in China. I tried to maintain my condition and the effort has been reflected in the match results.”
Led by head coach Choi Yeon-sung, who used to be a professional StarCraft gamer in Korea, Lee has played alongside “Duke” Lee Ho-seong, “bengi” Bae Seong-ung, “Blank” Kang Seon-gu, “Wolf” Lee Jae-wan and “Bang” Bae Jun-suk.
Lee clinched two victories in the domestic and international championships in 2013 shortly after his debut as a member of T1. The 20-year-old professional gamer added several more victories and MVPs to his career. Even before his professional career, he had been at the top of the LoL amateur rankings.
Released in 2009, LoL has been developed and provided by U.S. game company Riot Games. As it has provided a highly competitive gaming experience through 5-5 team-based matches, LoL has been the world’s most-sought-after online game both in Korea and abroad. According to game market researcher Gametrics, LoL has been the most-played game at PC rooms in Korea for the 199th consecutive week.
The MSI is one of three official international LoL competitions hosted by Riot Games. The MSI 2016 in Shanghai alone drew an estimated 100,000 visitors during its eight-day competition.