Born to play games, esports champion confident about gold

By Kang Aa-young

World-famous game player Lee Sang-hyeok, better known as his gaming ID “Faker,” has shown off his ambition to clinch a gold medal at the Asian Games. The regional sporting event named “League of Legends” (LoL) as an official demonstration sport for the first time ever and the competition for medals begins Sunday.

“We aim to win a gold medal,” Lee said in an event promoting the national team for the massively multiplayer online game, Tuesday. “Our LoL team is highly competitive. We have defeated all the competitors in major international leagues recently. I am very hopeful.”

He also expressed his hopes that the Asian Games will play a key role in raising the profile of esports across the world.

A player for SK Telecom's professional gaming team T1, Faker is the most popular Korean gamer among esports fans here and abroad. His fans call him the “Unkillable Demon King,” and often describe him as the god of LoL.

Within Korea he is on the level of former Manchester United footballer Park Ji-sung or former Olympic figure skating champion Kim Yuna in popularity. Lee's global reputation does not fall far behind the two South Korean sports heroes. Lee's annual salary _ over 3 billion won ($2.68 million) or so _ also slightly exceeds that of Korea's highest-paid baseball player Lee Dae-ho of the Lotte Giants.

He said he chose his gaming ID Faker because he believed the word sounds cool and describes his gaming style.

“I actually prefer my fans calling me god, because it makes me feel higher,” he said in a recent local media interview. “In the gaming world, I am simply a faker.”

But there is nothing fake about his confidence. There is a solid reason behind it.

Brazilian football legend Ronaldo, left, shakes hand with Lee Sang-hyeok, a member of SK Telecom T1, during an award ceremony after the Korean team won the online game League of Legends' Mid-Season Invitational event at the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, on May. 23, 2017. / Courtesy of Riot Games

Lee is widely considered the greatest player in the world of LoL, where teams of five players compete with one another.

His team, T1, won their third championship in the 2016 League of Legends World Championship, winning prize money of $2 million and Lee was awarded the MVP of the tournament. He also won the All-Star Paris 2014, Mid-Season Invitational tournaments in 2016 and 2017 and IEM World Championship 2016.

“Some say I'm overconfident, but I take their comment as a compliment. I think I have reason to be confident. I don't think I will lose to anyone in LoL,” Lee said.

However, Lee was shy as a child, according to Lee's father.

Born in Seoul, Lee and his brother were raised by their grandparents and their father.

He started playing games when he was eight years old. He said he remembers playing games just like most other kids.

“I wasn't interested in playing competitively when I was younger,” he said in his autobiography.

It was 2012 when he entered middle school and discovered the “world of LoL.”

He soon stood out, earning a top ranking. SK Telecom took notice and offered him a contract in 2013.

He decided to drop out of high school in his second year to become a pro gamer.

At first, the 22-year-old high school dropout, made millions of won a month. Even though SK Telecom refused to reveal the specific numbers, Lee's current salary is estimated to be around 3 billion won ($2.5 million) per year.

Esports have been chosen as a demonstration sport at the Asian Games 2018 Jakarta Palembang in Indonesia. Because it is a demonstration, the medals won will not go toward the official tally.

But it is surely an historic leap forward for esports to enter the status of mainstream sports.

Reflecting on the ongoing trend, esports are likely to become an official medal event at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

But some express concerns over the move due to the fact private companies make games. This is against the Olympic Charter tradition, as it does not consider mechanically propelled or mental activities a sport.

The competition, co-organized by the Olympic Council of Asia, Asian Electronic Sports Federation and the Indonesia Asian Games Organizing Committee, will feature six games: “Arena of Valor,” “Clash Royale,” “Hearthstone,” “Pro Evolution Soccer,” “StarCraft II,” and LoL, with gamers from 18 countries set to compete in 18 events, starting Sunday.

Six South Korean gamers will compete for LOL and another one will play “StarCraft II.” The games will be broadcasted live on television.