18 hours ago
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The king is staying on his throne.
T1 dropped a bombshell 2 days ago, sending shockwaves through the esports and gaming communities as Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, the greatest League of Legends player of all time, has extended his contract with T1 until 2029. Yes, the Unkillable Demon King isn’t retiring from the scene any time soon. This was unveiled on the final day of the T1 Homeground event, held on 2th to 27th July 2025 at the Inspire Arena in Incheon. For the uninitiated, the 2025 T1 Homeground was a mix of esports and fan culture; a 3–day extravaganza celebrating T1’s growing brand with interactive sponsor zones, merchandise exclusives, as well as epic LCK (League of Legends Champions Korea) and Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) matches.
For context, imagine your ultimate bias announcing they’re re-signing as a group for another 4 comeback cycles, that is how big this is. Faker is not only breaking rules of the meta, he is rewriting his own historical records, one after another. In the hyper-competitive world of professional esports, players rarely stay active past the age of 28 but Faker, now 29, will be suiting up for T1 until he’s 33. The news follows the team’s dominant presence at Worlds 2023 and 2024, and their improving form this year, which included a narrow 3-2 loss to Generation Gaming (GenG) at the semi-finals of MSI 2025, followed by a victory against GenG (which held a record 27-game win streak) at T1 Homeground.
Watch the cool announcement video for the re-signing!
Source: T1 LoL X Account (@T1LoL) July 27, 2025
The Legend Continues: Faker’s Back-to-Back Worlds Wins
When T1 suffered a heartbreaking loss to DRX at the 2022 Worlds final, many fans wondered if it will spell an end to Faker’s career. Rumors swirled about retirement. However, Faker silenced all the noise and naysayers by re-signing with T1 until 2025 and that maybe should have foreshadowed the new beginning of T1’s era. Faker led T1 to back-to-back World Champions in 2023 and 2024, defeating superstar teams out of China’s LPL (League of Legends Pro League) and completing one of the most iconic comeback arcs in esports history.
In South Korea, most pro gamers retire in their late 20s due to various reasons including long-standing injuries, change in life priorities and the mandatory military service for its male citizens. Faker having received the military exemption upon helping South Korea secure gold at the 2022 Asian Games meant that he can fully focus on conquering the Summoner’s Rift, past his 30s. With this new deal, Faker is telling the world: he’s not done.
T1 Entertainment & Sports’ current League of Legends roster
Source: T1 LoL X Account (@T1LoL) July 27, 2025
Recap of the 2025 T1 squad’s contracts:
Top Lane: Choi “Doran” Hyeon‑joon (ends 2025)
Jungle: Mun “Oner” Hyeon‑jun (ends 2026)
Mid Lane: Lee “Faker” Sang‑hyeok (extended through 2029 🔥)
ADC: Lee “Gumayusi” Min‑hyeong (ends 2025)
Support: Ryu “Keria” Min‑seok (ends 2026)
While Faker’s extension reaffirms his legacy with the organisation, not everything has been smooth sailing. The departure of Choi “Zeus” Woo-Je in late 2024 still loomed over the organization. T1 has since addressed the departure of Zeus, clarifying that the organization made best efforts to retain him. Despite T1’s intention to re-sign Zeus, it was claimed that his agency did not show up for a scheduled meeting during the stove league period and later informed T1, just before a self-imposed 3 p.m. deadline, that Zeus had already signed with a rival organisation, Hanwha Life Esports. While it caught the team off-guard, T1 expressed their respect over Zeus’ decision.
Since then, Doran, was signed as the replacement top laner through the end of 2025. Fans are also hopeful that another popular player in T1, Gumayusi may likely re-sign as the organisation managed to secure a landmark sponsorship, a 3-year deal with Red Sea Global at the 2025 Esports World Cup in Riyadh. This marked the first time a tourism developer has backed a global esports team to this scale.
Future of T1 with Faker
Faker isn’t just another esports player, he’s an icon and the driving force behind the T1 brand. Like how G-Dragon redefined what it meant to be a K-pop idol, Faker has came to be the definition of a role model-pro gamer. For the fans, Faker’s re-signing means more highlight-reel moments, behind-the-scene contents and legendary matches with the much-loved “DOFGK” roster intact. For T1, it’s a vote of confidence in their future and a promise that the dynasty isn’t fading any time soon.
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