T1: The Empire That Redefined Esports

By Jungmin Huh

“T1 are the past, the present, and the future! A new era, the same empire! T1 are your 2024 World Champions!”

Those triumphant words still reverberate through the esports world, but T1’s story is far from finished. As the LCK playoffs approach, the reigning kings stand on the brink of another milestone: the chance to secure a historic three-peat. Few squads in esports embody prestige the way T1 does. Their legacy is etched not only in five World Championships, ten LCK titles, and countless international triumphs, but also in how they reshaped the very culture of League of Legends and elevated esports into global recognition. From revolutionizing gameplay to inspiring millions across generations, T1’s journey is more than wins and losses—it is the saga of an empire. And at its core remains Faker, the most iconic player in esports history, whose loyalty and brilliance continue to define what T1 means to the world.

The history of this team began as a StarCraft team set up by Lim “BoxeR” Yo-hwan. In 2004, with SK Telecom’s sponsorship, the name SK Telecom T1, or SKT T1 was officially born. After a few years, in December 2012, the group took a step into the realm of League of Legends - and that event changed everything. By then, two rosters were made, SKT T1 S and SKT T1 K. The latter would shortly present a talented player who would ignite a dynasty: Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok.

In 2013, a young newcomer took the stage in Los Angeles and shook the world. Faker’s unique and gallant gameplays stunned the audience as SKT T1 K took their first World Championship. This was more than just a victory; this was a declaration of a newborn era.

The following years enhanced T1’s records. Once again in 2015, they dominated the world almost perfectly. Then in 2016, they achieved what no one thought possible - back-to-back World Championships, along with a triumph of the Mid-Season Invitational. Never had any team dreamt of such heights, and T1 seemed immortal.

However, dynasties are not forever powerful. For T1, the late 2010s began their nightmare: the champions suddenly looked mortal. In 2018, ESPN described T1 as a team to “worry about,” as they performed the worst in their history - unmatching skills for a team that used to rule the rift. Even Faker, the “Unkillable Demon King,”was not unkillable to this collapse. Faker’s slumps, that once came when missing Worlds in 2014, reemerged. His miraculous plays now looked human. For the first time, Faker’s fans started to question whether he could carry the weight of a falling dynasty.

The year 2022 marked both triumph and heartbreak for T1. They opened the season with unprecedented dominance, completing the LCK Spring Split undefeated (18–0) and cementing themselves as the greatest regular-season team in league history. That momentum carried them to the finals of the Mid-Season Invitational, where they fell narrowly to RNG in a hard-fought series. In Summer, T1 remained a top contender, qualifying comfortably for Worlds. There, Faker and his squad rekindled the aura of inevitability that defined earlier dynasties, surging all the way to the grand finals in San Francisco. Yet, despite their brilliance, T1 fell in a five-game thriller against DRX, leaving them one step short of reclaiming the Summoner’s Cup. 

Problems continued into 2023. Faker got a wrist injury, and T1 collapsed once more. They dropped almost every game, their teamwork got destroyed without their captain. The following year, targeted DDoS attacks impaired T1’s practices, forcing them to play matches without scrims and training. For a period, it felt as though the dynasty of T1 had met a dead end. People whispered that T1 will never get back up, and the king became permanently dethroned. The greatest team in the history of League fell down, and it seemed there was no way back.

Yet, T1 did what only the best can do; they withstood. They suffered from every drop of blood, the humiliation of collapse, and the doubt of fans. However, they took all of this into their fuel of resurrection. In 2023, the world watched how T1 swept Weibo Gaming in the finals, reclaiming their long lost crown after seven dark years. This was more than a victory - this was a declaration of a reborn lineage, a reminder that no dynasty falls completely as long as its heart beats. 

Then, in the following year, T1 proved it was no coincidence. In London, they defeated BiliBili Gaming to once again claim their Summoner’s Cup. Faker, once questioned, lifted the trophy as the MVP, the same mastermind that began more than a decade ago, now truly transcending mortality.

Faker has played his entire career under the same banner. He is not merely a player but the soul of T1, a living reminder that being loyal and great can coexist. To watch Faker is to witness new history, in plays and victories that defy time.

T1 has been crowned with the title, “Esports Team of the Decade.” They have been carved into books, memories, and honored. Perhaps, the most striking part of their story is that it is still being written. From their birth as a StarCraft squad, to their rise as the greatest team in League of Legends, to their triumphs and falls, T1’s journey is the expression of resilience, revival, and being the GOAT. At the center, always, stands Faker - the true unkillable demon king, the eternal criteria of what it defines to be called legendary. The legacy of this remarkable team does not lie only in the trophies they have lifted, but in the hearts they have moved, the people they have inspired, and the future they continue to shape. They are not just champions; they are the immortals of esports.