The injury to world-class esports player Lee “Faker” Sang-hyuk is causing a stir. Not only is his team, T1, faltering, but it’s also casting a cloud over the Korean national esports team at the Hangzhou Asian Games in September.
According to the esports industry, T1 recently lost its first two matches of the 2023 League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) Summer in a row. They lost 0-2 to mid-tier team DRX on May 5, and then lost 0-2 to rival Genji on May 8. The matches were poorly played and the team collapsed without even putting up a fight.
T1’s losing streak is largely due to the absence of their captain and core, Lee “Sang-hyuk” Lee, due to injury.
T1 officially announced shortly before their match against DRX on May 5 that Lee Sang-hyuk would be taking a few weeks off due to injury. According to the announcement, Lee recently experienced pain in his right arm and hand area, and as his condition did not improve, he underwent a detailed examination at a specialized hospital.
“After X-ray and MRI examinations, we were fortunate to receive a specialist’s opinion that there are no major abnormalities,” said T1, “but after discussions with the players and the team, we have decided to take a few weeks off for smooth treatment and recovery.”
The LCK Summer is currently in the second round of the regular season and is scheduled to run for four weeks until early August, so if Lee takes a few weeks off, he’s effectively out for the season 토토사이트.
To make matters worse, after less than a year at the helm, head coach Bae “Bangi” Sung-woong resigned on Aug. 8, citing poor performance, leaving T1 without both a coach and a faker.
Currently in fifth place as of Nov. 11, T1 needs to finish in the top six to qualify for the LCK Summer Playoffs. The key matchup will be against Nongshim on Nov. 14. If the team can regroup and take down the eighth-place Nongshim, they’ll be in good shape, but if not, Lee’s absence will be devastating for T1.
Lee’s injury is also a concern for the national esports team at the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in September.
This is the first time esports will be featured at the Games, and national teams for four sports (League of Legends, Battlegrounds Mobile, Street Fighter 5, and FIFA Online 4) were recently finalized. Lee Sang-hyuk is one of six nominees for League of Legends (LoL). He is a global esports star and a key pillar of the Korean national team.
The news of his injury is bad news for the national team. “If Faker recovers from his injury, there’s nothing to worry about, but if he doesn’t, it will affect the national team’s strength,” said an esports insider.
The national team is expected to begin training camps in mid-to-late August and depart for Hangzhou in late September. If Lee recovers in the next few weeks and returns for the LCK Summer and joins the national team, it will be a relief. But if he doesn’t, the national team has a real red flag.
“Faker’s decision to rest since last week was made with the Asian Games in mind,” said an esports insider, “and we expect him to recover well and come back.”
“We will keep a close eye on his health,” said a representative from the Korean Esports Performance Committee.