Legendary esports player clinches four-year contract extension with T1
Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok is set to stay with T1 through 2029, extending his tenure with the South Korean esports team that has defined his professional career.
T1 announced the four-year contract extension Sunday, following the team’s match against Nongshim RedForce at Inspire Arena in Incheon, part of the T1 Home Ground fan event organized alongside the ongoing League of Legends Champions Korea. Also called LCK, the event is the professional Korean competition for LoL and takes place until September.
Lee, who made his professional debut in 2013 with then-SKT T1, has remained with the same team for over a decade.
With the new contract in place, Lee is expected to continue competing professionally until at least age 33 — well beyond the typical retirement age for esports players, which often falls around 25.
Now 29, Lee is one of the most recognizable names in competitive gaming. He has won the League of Legends World Championship five times (2013, 2015, 2016, 2023 and 2024), and secured a gold medal for South Korea in the esports LoL category at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. His career also includes two Mid-Season Invitational titles and 10 LCK championships.
In recognition of his impact on the game, Riot Games, the developer and operator of League of Legends, last year named Lee the inaugural inductee into its newly established League of Legends Esports Hall of Legends.
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