League of Legends ‘GOAT’ reflects on passion, growth, future after historic worlds victory

Faker of T1 celebrates after being crowned champions in the League of Legends Worlds 2025 Finals on November 08, 2025, in Chengdu, China.

Christina Oh / Riot Games

MANILA, Philippines — League of Legends history was made last Sunday, November 9, in Chengdu, China, when South Korea’s T1 defeated KT Rolster, 3-2, to win its third consecutive world title and cementing its status as the greatest dynasty in the scene.

For Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, the victory marked his sixth League of Legends World Championship — a record that could turn out to be unbreakable — further confirming his status as League of Legends’ greatest of all time.

But the road to the top had not always been easy for the esports great.

Having started his career back in 2013, Faker and his team, then known as SK Telecom T1, were on the cusp of getting their three-peat of world titles, only to see heartbreak — coincidentally also in China, at the Beijing National Stadium. Faker and SK Telecom T1 lost 0-3, causing them to miss out on the world stage the following year.

Such a struggle may lead most players to consider calling it quits. But for the South Korean player, it only fueled him to go on.

"I believe the biggest reason for me to continue playing the game is my passion. I am a person who loves playing games. One of the biggest reasons I signed a contract with T1 in 2029 was I wanted to see how far I could improve, how much I could grow. I wanted to see if I could inspire many people. That was the main reason I decided to sign a contract with T1,” Faker said during the post-match interview as he won his sixth League of Legends crown.

Without regrets, Faker believed that experience helped him become a stronger player.

"Today, when I was coming to the venue, I kinda reminisced about the 2017 finals for a moment. But what I felt throughout the match today was different from 2017. I was able to realize that right now I can focus on the game and concentrate without paying too much attention to the result. So I think that was a moment I kind of realized that I have grown so much as a player. Also, looking back at it right now, I don't think any of those sad memories and emotions from the 2017 finals kind of remain inside of me. So I just think that those kinds of past events and past experiences were able to help me in the end. I'm just really proud of the path that I was able to go through,” admitted Faker.

Looking ahead, Faker admits that given his age, there are things that he needs to focus on as he wishes to continue playing until his contract ends in 2029.

He explained, “As I get older, I realize that I need to take care of my health. As a pro-gamer, I need to be in the same position all the time. I realized that I need to take care of my health. Even if I'm talking about my next chapter, I have to continue my career as a professional gamer until 2029. My goal is to do my best as a professional gamer."

The 29-year-old revealed that he had undergone a medical check-up prior to the worlds.

"My health hasn't been as good as it used to be. It's not that my health has gotten worse, but it's just not good. Next year, I'll take good care of my health. I believe that health is the foundation of [a player's] performance.”

League of Legends’ Philippine resurgence

While the spotlight was on Chengdu, the Philippines had its own reason to celebrate League of Legends this 2025 season. Local team Inferno Esports captured the League of Legends Championship Pacific (LCP) Wildcard title, defeating Thailand’s Full Sense, 3-2, to secure a spot in the League of Legends Championship Pacific Promotion Series.

For a team that had only a month of practice before its debut in Liga Republika, this achievement signifies a new era for the local scene as Liga Republika continues to break barriers for the esports title in the country.

The Philippines also hosted its own League of Legends World Championship watch party at the Samsung Hall inside SM Aura in BGC, Taguig. The event was attended by a total of 750 fans despite the option to refund their tickets given the threats of the typhoon over the weekend.