Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok recently graced the cover of Fortune Korea under the headline "Mr. Esports." The T1 captain and mid laner, widely regarded as the undisputed GOAT of competitive gaming, sat down with the magazine in a crisp suit rather than his usual team jersey. What followed was a rare, candid conversation about what still drives him more than a decade into his career.
Pro gamers have notoriously short careers. Faker, you are the exception — what is your secret?
It might sound like a cliché, but I think the biggest reason is passion. I genuinely still love the game. Because I've spent so long doing something I love, the effort comes naturally rather than being forced. I think that's what has kept me going.
There were times when the game was going well, and times when it wasn't. What went through your mind in those harder moments?
Around 2018, I found myself thinking, "Is it time to be pushed out?" The perception that esports careers were unusually short was strong, and I felt I might not be able to escape that fate. And yet, a part of me questioned it: is it really right to fade out just because of age? Can't I prove otherwise?
He defines what it means to be the GOAT